The Paper Cranes
by Freyalinn
Summary: Sara finds one of the cranes. She collects the mail one day before Jacob.
1. Chapter 1

Sara was in her car on her way home. A small fire in the neighbour building caused smoke blowing into the section where Sara worked. The patients were in a different wing of the hospital and wasn't affected by the smoke, but the director let everyone on the administrative side to go home. So they didn't have to inhale the unpleasant smoke. It was a long time ago since Sara had a whole afternoon free to herself. Mike has a few more hours more in Kindergarten before she can pick him up.

Sara reached her home and parked the car. She went to the mailbox, picked up the mail and went inside. Maybe she should take a long soothing bath, she thought while going through the mail. One envelope addressed to her got her attention. The handwriting reminded about Michael's. She opened it and inside was a very familiar paper crane.

"Oh!" Sara grasped and almost dropped it on the floor. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before tracing the crane with her fingers. It looked exactly like those Michael sent to her before. Who and why would anyone send her one? Was this some cruel joke? Under the wing was the word Faith written.

Did Lincoln send it? She remembered Michael told her that Lincoln used to do them and gave him during their childhood. It used to comfort Michael, knowing his brother was watching over him. It must be Lincoln, nobody else could possibly know. But why didn't he leave a note? She would love to call him and ask, but the latest number she had to him hasn't been answered the last four times she had used it.

Sara put the rest of the mail on the counter in the usual spot. She took the envelope and the crane and put them in a desk drawer in her office. Then she went upstairs and took that bath. While in the bath, Sara thought of Michael and their time together, something she hasn't done in a while.

She mourned Michael for 3 years, didn't let anyone in or even looked at another man. The only man she had around her was Lincoln. Michael was the love of her life, she loved him so much. If she didn't was pregnant and have to live for their unborn child, she doesn't know if she would had the strenght to go on. She definitely hadn't made it without Lincoln's help.

She and Michael had such many things to do, so many plans to fulfill. Since they didn't meet like normal people, they never got to date. With a few tense moments together and one kiss they started a relationship that was out of this world, one of a kind. A relationship that neither of them ever experienced or could dream up. A love so strong that endured everything thrown at them, a love they both felt, as they never had a moment alone long enough to talk about how they felt.

It's quite unbelievable they managed to survive all that happened to them. That they came out on the other side, but not without any harm. They both got scars, both physical and mental ones. Michael got most of them, he had to do more than he ever thought he would and thought he was able to do. He crossed some lines, that came to change him forever, it did put scars on his soul. It was no fair that Michael had to die, not after all he did. he would have been such an amazing father.

.

* * *

Michael was holding and watching his only picture of Sara and Mike. Sara was holding Mike in her arms at the zoo. He had taken the photo while hiding in the bushes. He felt like a stalker when he did it, but the urge to see his wife and son sometimes got hold of him so bad that he didn't care how dangerous it was. He caressed the photo and wished not for the first time he could do it for real. He wanted so badly to hug them both, hold them in his arms. How much he wanted to be with them.

He wonders if Sara ever thinks about how things could be, playing the what if game. If she thinks about him sometimes. She has been married to another man for about a year now. It had hurt him when he found out she had remarried, but on the other hand, he wanted her to be happy. She deserves some happiness after everything she went through with him, what he put her through.

She is an amazing woman, a woman he loves with all of his heart. Nothing will change that, she is the love of his life, always will be. He is working on a plan to get free from Poseidon, to neutralize the threat to his family. When he was first approached, he refused of course. He just wanted to be with Sara and looked forward to be a father. So threaten to kill his family if he didn't do what they asked, was an easy one for Poseidon. But he didn't think it was going to be for this long, one job after the other with no end. He thought maybe he would have to be away from his family for maybe a year or so.

Ever since he figured out they wouldn't let him go, he has been working to stop Poseidon. Even if he is successful in his plan, it doesn't mean he will get Sara back. She maybe prefers the normal life she has with her new husband, then go back to him and to all the craziness. He thinks she will understand that he was trying to save their lives, but will she forgive him for not telling her. That he could think of a way to let her know, despite the death threats. That is what he does with the paper cranes. He hopes Sara knows what they mean, that she remember those he sent her right after the prison break, that it's a way to communicate. He hopes that to everyone else, it's just an origami bird.

He may not be together romantically with Sara, but he is absolutely sure she will allow him to be around and get to know his son. They both looked forward to the birth of their child. She would never refuse him his right to see his son. Once it was safe of course. Michael put the photo down and folded another crane. He put it in an envelope with Sara's address on and sealed it.

.

* * *

After dinner Sara sat and watched TV. She didn't really pay attention to the programme as she was thinking of Jacob's behavior. Jacob had almost been angry when she told him about the fire and her free afternoon. Why she hadn't called him or sent a text. She thought it wasn't that big of a deal as it wasn't her building that was on fire.

Then it got even stranger. When he noticed the mail on the counter, his facial expression was definitely angry for a few seconds before he could control it. Then he took up his phone and disappeared to apparently make a phone call. When he sat down beside her, he was his usual charming self.

.

* * *

Sara and Jacob arrived home almost at the same time. Jacob offered to take the mailbox, but Sara was on her way already. So Jacob could just watch and pray it wasn't a letter from Michael. It would be a bit odd if he would race her to the mailbox and somehow try to hide the letter if it was one. Kind of hard to explain. Once they were inside and Sara put down the mail, he looked it through and could breath out as it didn't contain any letter to Sara.

.

* * *

Two months after Sara found the first crane, she found another one in the mail. Sara felt a bit nauseous and had a headache during the day so she went home from work. She must get in touch of Lincoln to thank him, it must be him that sends them. Sara felt a little better already just seeing the crane, a little mood boost.

.

Sara took out the dinner from the oven when Jacob and Mike came home and into the kitchen. Mike rushed to her and gave her a hug.

"Hi Mommy."

"Hi sweetie. How was your day?"

"It was awesome. The aquarium was so cool and interesting. We saw sharks, barracudas, piranhas..."

Sara interrupted him. "That's nice. I want to hear all about it at dinner, but first go wash up. Dinner is ready."

"Okay." Mike ran out of the room.

Sara walked to Jacob and gave him a peck on the lips. "How was your day? Was it awesome too?"

"No, not really. Mostly boring meetings. How about you? You look like you feel fine. I thought you would be in bed, judging by your text."

"Yes, but I feel much better now. I took some painkillers and slept about 2 hours. When I woke up I didn't feel ill anymore, so I decided to do some good instead of laying down."

.

During dinner Mike told them all about his field trip to the aquarium. All the fishes and other sea creatures he saw. Sara smiled when she listened to Mike, he was so enthusiastic when he learned new things or experienced new things. Jacob smiled too. Mike was such an adorable easy child, he couldn't ask for a better stepson. Mike seemed to accept him as a stepfather too.

Jacob made it through dinner before he noticed the crane on the counter. He saw it when he cleared the table. Luckily for him, he had his back to Sara, so she didn't see his reaction.

"Dammit! Dammit!" He cursed silently to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Jacob thought it was safe, that it wasn't time for one to arrive. When he got Sara's text asking him to pick up Mike, because she wasn't feeling well and went home early, he was in a meeting and couldn't go home and check the mail before her.

He turned around and looked at Sara. She and Mike was still talking and laughing. She didn't seem to act any differently. Did the crane not make her question if Michael maybe wasn't really dead after all? Was he that lucky? That she didn't suspect that Michael really was the one that send it? Considering what she told him about them and she had one tattooed, she should without any doubt know they were from Michael.

He hated that tattoo, he saw it every day. It was a constant remembering of Michael. That was Sara's intention when she got it, but he definitely didn't need a reminder of her love to her first husband.

.

* * *

Sara´s neighbour and friend Heather was in her garden when she heard a car that slammed on the breaks so she looked up and out on the street. She saw Jacob jumped out of his car and checked the mailbox. After going throught the mail, he put it back, jumped in his car and drove away.

Heather mentioned this to Sara when she dropped off Dylan, Heather's son later that day.

"Thanks for picking up and dropping of the boys this week, Sara. I really appreciate it. I should be back up on my feet by Monday."

"No problem, Heather. You should rest when you are sick."

"By the way, does Jacob expect an important letter or something?"

"No, not that I know of. Why?"

"He seems very eager. He has been home in the middle of the day for 3 days in a row now. Just to check the mail and then leave again."

"He hasn't mentioned that he is waiting for something that important."

"Maybe it's a surprise for you?"

"Maybe so. I will ask him and see if I can read his reaction."

.

* * *

Mike knocked on the door to Sara and Jacob's room. The toilet paper had run out in his bathroom. The new ones in the storeroom were too high up for him, he couldn't reach them. He thought he could take some from their bathroom, so he could go now and then ask any of them to bring him a new roll of toilet paper.

No answer, so Mike stepped inside. He went to the bathroom and took some paper. As Mike was about to walk out again, he heard some noise outside. He stepped out and saw Jacob had opened the drawer on the bedside table on Sara's side.

"Hi Jacob, could you get me..."

Jacob got startled by Mike's voice and dropped what he had in his hands. Jacob turned around and yelled. "What are you doing in here?"

"I needed some..."

"You know you should always knock before coming into our room." Jacob continued to shout.

Mike's lips started to tremble. "I did, there was no answer."

"Then you should have waited for one." Jacob continued still loud and in a hard tone. He bend down and picked up what he dropped. It looked like some medical pills to Mike.

"But you weren't..."

"No buts. You must obey the rules. Now go to your room."

Mike was nearly in tears when he ran out of there.

.

When Jacob went to check on Mike, he got two miner scare moments. The first scare was that Mike at first didn't seem to be in his room. Jacob had already checked the rest of the house, his room once and now he was going to check it again. Had he left the house? Had he run away from home?

The second scare came when Jacob was about to leave and heard Mike's voice somewhere in the apparently not empty room. It seemed like the voice came from under the bed.

"I wish you were here, Daddy."

Did Sara figure it out after all? Did she tell him that his father is alive in contrary to what they believed all these years? Mike's next sentence made him relieved.

"I wish you weren't dead. I wish I could have got to know you. I wish I could see you, just once."

.

Jacob sat in the bed reading when Sara came out of the bathroom.

"Mike said you yelled at him today. Why?"

"No, I didn't. I may have raised my voice a bit."

"He said you was yelling."

"Then he is mistaken. I didn't."

"Are you calling him a liar?" Sara's voice got a bit angry.

Jacob rose from the bed. "Look Sara. He startled me. He came into our bedroom and I didn't hear him. So I raised my voice. I apologized and said I was sorry."

"He also said you was bribing him with ice cream."

Jacob closed his eyes a brief second and inhaled sharply. "That I did. It was just a peace offering, that everything was alright. I wasn't angry and he didn't have to be sad anymore. Jacob walked over to her, so he stood behind her. He pressed light kisses to her shoulders. "Let's got to bed."

Sara turned around and took a few steps back and increased the distance between them. "You think you will be rewarded with sex for yelling to my son?"

"Our son, Sara. He is my son too now."

"Apparently you didn't think so this evening."

"You don't think dad's or mom's for that matter, yells at their children sometimes? Jacob was getting frustrated now. "If you think Michael would never yell at Mike too if he was alive, you are deceiving yourself. There isn't a parent in the world that hasn't yelled at their children at some point."

"I know Michael wouldn't have to yell or shout, since he was a genius, he would find a way to solve the situation or get the message through, without any shouting or harsh words."

"You sound like Mike just now, you both appraise him so high. He was just a man, not a god or a superhero, you know. Like he couldn't do nothing wrong."

"He was a wonderful man and he would been an exellent father. You don't know anything about Michael, you never knew him. Or did you?" Sara´s eyes narrowed.

Jacon stiffened a bit and hoped to god Sara didn't notice. "Of course I didn't know him. Just what you have told me and what I had read about him in the newspaper when they escaped."

Sara laughed sarcastically. "The newspaper? Since when does they give the whole truth. There wasn't one true word about Michael and Lincoln printed in the papers or on the news. It was all fabricated lies."

"I'm sorry for yelling at Mike. I love him as much as you do. I know how we could make this issue go away. We could have a child of our own, a child that is both yours and mine."

"You seriously bringing that up now?"

"You said you would think about it. It's been a year now."

"Yes, I said I would think about it and right now is definitely not the time for it." Sara pulled a t-shirt from her drawer and started to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going, Sara? I'm so sorry, please forgive me. Let's sleep on it and it will be better tomorrow."

"Don't Jacob, I'm too angry at you. I will sleep in the guest room." Sara said and left the room.

Jacob cursed himself. Why did he have to bring Michael up. Of course she would take his side, defend him every time. Did he mention Michael just because he got scared when he overheard Mike talking to him? Did he want to test Sara if she knew, if she had found out the truth?

Anyway, it was stupid. Now Sara will be angry for a few days and he has to make amends before he can seduce her. Before he is welcome in her bed again. And Sara isn't like most women, those that you can buy their happiness with flowers, jewellery or simple things like chocolate and candy. No, not Sara, it doesn't work on her and that he can't blame Michael for.

That damage is the work of her father, a man that apparently couldn't keep his words to neither his wife or daughter and bought them things instead to make up for it. He will give her a few days to calm down, then he will charm her again. He did get her to marry him, so this little argument shouldn't be any problem at all.

If Sara doesn't notice that he mixed with her pills, she could get pregnant with some luck the next time they have sex. She told him she got pregnant with Mike their first time together. If they have a child together, she will never get rid of him. Even it she found out, Michael would be sent to prison and Sara would have to deal with him due to them having a child. He would fight in every court he has to, if she sues for sole custody. He will fight for his right to be part of his child's upbringing. He has the means and money for it.

.

* * *

Sara came walking home from Heather when she saw Jacob at the mailbox. She walked up to him, or sneaked up if you would ask him.

"Anything for me?" Sara asked and put her arms around him.

Jacob jumped as he didn't hear or see her. "Hi. No, I don't think so." Jacob said and hoped it was true, but spoke to soon. The last letter was to Sara and to his horror it was one with a too familiar handwriting. What to do now? He can't hide it as she is literally watching over his shoulders.


	3. Chapter 3

Sara took the letter from him. Once inside, they got busy with putting something to eat on the table, as they forgot to take the meat out from the freezer. Instead of the planned dinner, they had to improvise with what they got, as they didn't want to go to the store. After dinner Sara remembered the letter and could open it.

Jacob watched as Sara smiled when she turned the crane around and around. Jacob felt some rage building up, how happy she got from seeing that crane and she probably was thinking of Michael right now. He also felt a bit scared that she would figure it out, because this was the second one she got. He must keep them hidden from her, there is not telling when they will contain any message. If she receives many of them, she are bound to find out, every crane she gets decrease her believing Michael is really dead.

Should he comment the crane? He could find out what she knows, what she thinks of them. But it also could draw unwanted attention to them and then she would really think about them in a different way.

He surprised himself by saying in a little harsh tone. "What's that?"

She looked up and gave him a confused look. "It's a paper crane. Like those Michael sent to me after he escaped from prison."

"Who is it from?"

"I don't know. Since it can't be from Michael, it has to be Lincoln. Who else would know about them. You see, it was Lincoln that first made them to Michael when they were younger."

"Can I see it?"

Sara handed it to him and it was strange that the first thing he did was to check the wings. Has he seen one before? Did he know that there is where words are written? But not on this one. Did she imagine that he looked a bit relieved.

"Have you seen one of these before? In another letter for me?"

"No, of course not." Jacob answered fast and coldly.

"Are you sure?" Sara felt she was getting annoyed by his tone. It was something in it that didn't seem like him or his behavior.

"Yes, I haven't opened your mail. I wouldn't do such a thing. Why would I?"

"I don't know."

Mike heard them arguing when he came down to the kitchen, to tell them he is ready to go to bed.

.

* * *

"What are you looking for?"

Jacob jumped hearing Sara's voice behind him. "Dammit." He mumbled to himself. This is the second time she has startled him in a week, either she is superb at sneaking up on people or he has no awareness what so ever. He must be better than this. "I'm looking for a pair of tweezers. I got a splinter or something. Jacob lied fast.

"In the bathroom cabinet."

"Ah, thanks." He was going through her nightstand drawer to see if she had taken her pills, the ones he had tampered with. They were all there, so she must have noticed it was something strange about them. But then she wouldn't be this calm, they would have their biggest fight so far in their marriage, if she knew he forced his way on the subject of having a baby. Totally overruling her decision to wait. Jacob closed the drawer and went into the bathroom.

"Did you find it?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, it's okay. I got this."

"Okay, fine."

Could it be that she hasn't taken the pills, she is going to surprise him later on that she is expecting. Since he made the switch and after she calmed down from their big argument, they have had sex, so she could be pregnant. Jacob smiled. Maybe he should ask her. "Sara, are you still out there?"

"Yes."

"I couldn't help noticing that you haven't taken your pills this month. Does that mean you have decided it's time for us to have a child?"

"No, I'm not ready yet. I'm sorry, Jacob. But let's not argue about it again, please. Those pills are my old ones that I haven't returned to the pharmacy. I switched brands about two months ago. The new ones I have in my purse."

Luckily for him Sara wasn't in the room. He was practically steaming of rage. All that work for nothing. It cost a fortune to have those fake pills made to look like the ones she used and it took a long time to get it done too. If he wants to do the same thing again, it will take several weeks more, even months.

.

* * *

The kindergarten Mike goes to had to close down early due to a very sick child. They didn't want to take any risk infecting the other children. Both Jacob and Sara couldn't pick up Mike, so Heather became an angel and took him home with her and her son Dylan.

"I will go and prepare our lunch. You two can play in the garden in the meanwhile, but you have to stay here and not go out on the street. Understand?"

"Yes." The boys answered in chorus.

"Okay then. I will get you when it's done."

The boys decided to play some soccer. But after a hard missed shot, the ball hit something sharp and pointy at the fence, so the air blew out.

"What do we do now?" Dylan said, holding up the now flat ball.

"I have one, it's in my backyard. But your mother said we have to stay here."

"I know, but if we are carefully we can cross the street by ourselves. It will only take five minutes to get your ball, we don't need to bother my mom."

"Yeah, you are right. We can be careful."

Dylan and Mike went to the gate. When they looked out to see if it was safe to go out, they saw Jacob standing at their mailbox. Precisely when Mike was gonna call out to him, Jacob did something strange. He kneeled and put something down on the ground. Then he rose, put something in the mailbox, jumped in his car and drove away.

After checking again if it was safe, the boys ran over the street to Mike's house. Where Jacob kneeled it was a grate, something Mike never noticed before. He looked down and saw paper, some old and yellowed, some new. It looked like that folded paper crane his mother showed him. He knows the story of how his father sent his mother coded messages with them.

But she lost them, so he has never seen one until two weeks ago, when she showed one to him. She said she wished she would have one of the old cranes as a memory and especially the first thing she ever got from him, a folded paper rose. These new ones were from uncle Lincoln she said. Why would Jacob throw them away?

"What are we looking at?" Dylan asked.

"It's folded paper made to look like a bird, a crane specifically. It's called origami."

"Why are they down there? Was that what Jacob did just now? Throw one down here? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. Look at the one on the top, it looks like it's new compared to the others. I want to get one to show mommy."

"How will we get them up? We can't lift the grate. It's too heavy for us."

"We can try to fish them up using long sticks."

"Good idea, let's try that."

After several attempts they managed to get one up by working together. It took so long time that they realized that they would never get one more up before Dylan's mother will miss them. They went to the backyard, grabbed Mike's ball and ran back to Dylan's house.

.

"Is something wrong, sweetie? You have not been your usual sunny you."

Mike looked up at her from where he sat on the bed. Sara had come in to read him his bedtime story.

"You look just like your father now. Michael had that look when he was hiding something from me or didn't want to answer my questions."

"I do?" Mike was thrilled he had something in common with his father.

"Yes."

"I need to tell you something."


	4. Chapter 4

"You can tell me anything, sweetie."

When Mike didn't say anything, she continued. "Have you done something?"

Mike shocked his head no.

"Have Dylan done something?"

"No, it's about Jacob, but I don't want to say anything. You guys have just made up. I don't want you to be angry at him again."

Sara grasped. "Has he done something to you?"

"No, nothing like that." Mike jumped up from the bed and crawled under it to get the crane he hid there. He emerged with it and gave her. Sara looked puzzled at it, noticing the old age.

Mike sat down on the bed again. "I heard you guys fighting about the cranes last month, when Jacob denied he haven't seen one before. There is a storm drain near our mailbox and yesterday I saw Jacob throw something down it. When he left, I looked down and there were many of these cranes and envelopes down there. Dylan and I managed to fish this one up."

Sara grasped again. She looked at him shocked and dismayed.

"Why would he do that, Mommy?"

"I don't know. How many did you see?"

"I didn't count them, but it was a lot of them. How could he open your mail? It's not right, you are not allowed to take something that isn't yours."

"No, you shouldn't. What Jacob did is wrong. Why would he hide them from me? It makes no sense." Sara stroke over his head. "Anyway, I'm glad you told me. I will take a look at them in the morning and then I have to ask him why."

"Maybe he got a bit jealous and angry as he did when I got those pictures of daddy from cousin LJ. He didn't like it when I had them out on my desk, so I have put them up under my bed. That way he doesn't have to see them because he can't fit under my bed."

"You have? May I see them?"

"Of course, Mommy."

"If I fit under the bed, that is." Sara lay down on her back and pulled herself in under the bed by grabbing the bed frame. It was tight and only just she could squeeze in. She hadn't seen these pictures since LJ came over with them. Michael was so handsome even in his younger days. Since he had the same shaved haircut on most of the pictures, he didn't seem to age much. It was hard to guess how old he was in each picture.

What if they had met when they were young, like in high school. Before she started using drugs or alcohol. They could have had a bunch of children by now. She has wished many times why they couldn't have met before prison, but never this far before. She would have killed to have had Michael as her first love, the first boy you even kissed perhaps, instead of wasting her youth on drugs and losers.

"I wish I could have known him. I wish he wasn't dead."

"I know, baby. So do I. It's not fair he had to die before you was born. He loved you so much, his unborn child, even before we know if it was a boy or a girl. He looked forward to be a father so much, to see the life we created together, our baby."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, and he would love you even more if he was here to see what beautiful, wonderful and amazing son you turned out to be. Just as much as I love you, maybe even more."

"I love you, Mommy." Mike turned his head and looked at the pictures. "I love you too, Daddy."

.

* * *

Lincoln came home and went directly to the fridge and took out a cold beer. He opened it and sunk down on the couch. He put his feet up on the coffee table and took a long needed zip. Working a real job is harder the he thought it would be. This job at a junkyard involves a lot of heavy lifting even if they have machines to help them for the most parts. It's dirty, so it's good they have access to showers, so he could freshen up before going home. He has only been there for three weeks, it's good pay, but maybe not the work for him.

Lincoln took another sip and his eyes caught something on the table. He starred at it for a while. "It couldn't be." Lincoln said out loud. He took down his feet, leaned forward, put his beer down and picked it up. It was a crane. But how...who... Lincoln turned it around, saw the writing, folded the wing and there he could read the word Faith. The writing was remarkable like Michael's handwriting. That was impossible. Wait a minute, when he talked to Sara, she mentioned that she received a letter containing a crane in the mail. She thought it was him, but he didn't send one.

He missed her and Mike, the only family he got besides LJ. He felt a bit ashamed that he didn't visit them anymore. When Sara got remarried, he thought of giving her some space and not be a reminder of Michael and the past. He didn't like Jacob too much either, he came out a bit smug sometimes and there was something else about him he couldn't put his finger on. So it was best to avoid him, but that meant avoiding Sara and Mike too.

Since he and Sofia broke up, he fell back in his old ways, like drinking too much, didn't keep a normal job and started to take questionable work offers to earn some money to pay rent. He didn't want his nephew to see him like this. But he really missed them.

Lincoln folded out the crane to see it it contained any more words, but found nothing more. If Sara asked him if he send one, she wouldn't leave one for him. LJ is in Europe on a school project assignment, so it can't be him. That would leave only one person left, but that's impossible, isn't it? Who else would know?

Lincoln folded it back to a crane. When he was reaching for his beer, he saw someone standing in the doorway to his bedroom. For the first second Lincoln thought he was hallucinating, next second that he was daydreaming, he didn't dare to trust his own eyes.

"Hey Linc."

"Michael?"

"Yes, you are not seeing a ghost."

Lincoln rose from the couch and rushed over to Michael.

"Michael! You are alive!" Lincoln hugged him hard. Too hard almost, a real bear hug. Lincoln was much bigger and stronger than when Michael saw him 6 years ago. Michael had broken the rules and checked up on Sara two times, but made sure she didn't see him. He didn't dare to press his luck and check up on Lincoln too, he wanted to, so badly.

"I thought you were dead. Where have you been, Michael?"

"I'm so sorry I had to fake my death, that you and Sara had to believe I was dead. I was forced to do it, I had no choice, they threaten everyone I loved. I refused of course and they almost killed Sara to prove their point, that they are capable to follow through. I was not allowed to have any contact with any of you."

"Sara! Have you seen Sara? She will be shocked and surprised, but so happy. And Mike, oh Michael, you could meet your son. He is amazing."

"No, I haven't seen Sara yet. I will tomorrow. The reason why I am breaking the rules and not gonna play their game anymore is I made a horrible discovery yesterday. Sara's husband is the one that is forcing me to stay away. I thought I was keeping you and Sara safe by working for him."

"What! Jacob is behind this? If I lay my hands on him, I will kill that son of a bastard." Lincoln's eyes were filled with rage. "How could he do this to you? To Sara?"

"Is that his name? I know him as Poseidon. He is a rogue CIA-agent that runs unsanctioned missions for his own agenda."

"I never liked him and now it shows I was right in doing so. How could he be behind all of this? To my knowledge they met a couple of years after your death."

"I don't know. I really hope he did what I did, fell in love with her at first sight and not some sort of punishment. Or a way to control me even harder. I hope he has been treating her good."

"He better have or else I swear I will kill him."

"However much we want to, we can't do that, Linc. Then we will be fugitives again, wanted for murder. I'm working on a plan to make him pay for his crimes, expose him to even more powerful people. He did kill a deputy director of the CIA. But staged it to look like I did it, the evidence will point at me. He can frame me for it when he decides he don't have any use for me anymore. Or maybe if I did have any contact with Sara, he could have me locked up for good in a real prison, so I never would see her again. My plan isn't complete, I don't have everything worked out yet. But knowing Poseidon and Sara's husband is the same man, I needed to act. I must get her and Mike away from him, keep them safe. And you too, I can't have him go after you, you need to be safe too."

"So what do we do now? How should we do to get them to safety? Shall I go and visit them? Stay a few days until I can get them away from the house?"

"It's not such a good idea considering what you said earlier. If you will jump him at first sight, beating him up, it will be bad. But I do need your help."

"Anything."

"I thought of a rushed plan yesterday. I will ask Sara to take MIke and leave at the first opportune chance they have. You will pick them up and we rendezvous at a safe place."

"Okay. Sounds easy."

"Yeah, but from now on you have to be careful, watching out for if you are followed or under surveillance in any way. I checked my steps here, but I don't know how much Poseidon is watching you or Sara. Now when the first step is taken, everything we do has to be done carefully, so we don't lose the element of surprise. If they are unaware, we will succeed and when they catch on, it will be too late. Sara and Mike will be long gone and never will see him again hopefully."

"I will make sure I do a better job protecting them this time and not leaving their side."

"I will too. But it will mean we are going to be like fugitives again, not running from the law this time, but a furious madman and his henchmen."

"True. But we are together and together we will protect our family."

"Yes, I have longed for the day when I would be reunited with all of you, with everyone I love. To meet my son. I never lost faith that I would do that."

"You will love him, Michael. He is one amazing boy, so clever, so brilliant."

"Beeing Sara's son, he can't be anything else then perfect." Michael smiled a genuine smile for the first time in a long while.

.

* * *

Sara sat in her office and wrote a report when she heard a knock on the door.

"Enter." She answered and finished the report before looking up.

A nurse from the reception desk hold forth a letter. "A messenger delivered this to you, Dr Scofield. He said it was urgent."

"Thank you."

Sara took the letter and the nurse left. Sara grasped when she saw the handwriting, it's the same that have been sending the cranes. It was so alike Michael's handwriting, that she first thought it was Lincoln, but she got hold of LJ and he made Lincoln call her back. Lincoln said it wasn't him, he hadn't sent her any cranes or letters for that matter.

Then it must be Michael, somehow he must be alive. Who else knows about the cranes and have the same handwriting as Michael? She shared her theories with Lincoln and he said it was impossible, Michael was dead. Why would Michael leave them without saying anything. It doesn't make any sense. She agreed, but neither does why Jacob would hide the cranes from her.

Why he opened her mail and throw them away in that storm drain. No sense what so ever if they didn't were from Michael and Jacob didn't want her to have them. She got shocked over how many it was when she looked the morning after Mike told her. But why? Could Jacob have anything to do with Michael's death or disappearance, which she strongly believes now.

But how? She met Jacob 3 years after Michael's death. They dated a year before they got married. They spent their first wedding anniversary 3 months ago, so that makes it over 6 years now since she saw Michael. If Michael is alive, where is he? Where has he been all these years? Why did he have to leave them? She is pretty certain there is very strong reason to why he left them, if that's the case. Because he wouldn't just leave on his own, by his free will. She will never believe that. Michael loved her and their unborn child. She felt it with every kiss he gave her.

Sara's eyes fell on the letter. She is 100% sure that it's Michael's handwriting. She opened it with her heart in her throat and hoping with every fiber in her body for a miracle it was from Michael. She saw her name at the top and Michael's at the end. She shut her eyes in relief and a few tears welled up. If it wasn't someone's joke, Michael was alive. After a few deep breaths, Sara opened her eyes and started to read.


	5. Chapter 5

Sara

I don't know how I will start this letter. I have been trying to write it for a thousand times now, but never finished it. I'm so sorry I had to make you believe I was dead. They forced me to do it. I begged them to let me tell you. They said if I had any contact, they would go through with the death threat to you, Linc, LJ or our child. They said they would choose one of you and let me guess which one they would kill as the first warning.

I know they were capable to do it, these people have no morals or compassion. You remember that day you almost got run over by a car at the supermarket? It wasn't an accident. They did that to prove to me they would go through with their threats. They showed me a video from inside of that car, I saw how they missed you deliberately, but with such a small distance as possible. That video and the way they talked sent chills down my spine.

All this time they have forced me to work for them. Either breaking out of more prisons or breaking into other very secure buildings. At first I thought it would take a year or so and then I could come back to you. But after a while I realized that they would never let me go. Ever since then I have been working on a way to be free and neutralize their threats to kill everyone I love.

When it was safe I was going to come forward and contact you. I had no intention to break up your marriage, just ask permission to see our son, be a part of his life. I haven't figured it all out yet, but what I discovered two days ago forced me to break their rules. Because this changes everything, makes it even more dangerous. Especially for you, Sara. But you have to know the truth. I haven't slept all night, because this is a nightmare worse then hell.

I saw you come out of a movie theater with Mike and a man I assume is your husband. That man is the one that forced me to stay away from you and Mike. I know him as Poseidon, he is the leader of a rogue CIA unit. I have come up with a rush plan to get you and Mike away from him. You must be kept safe. That was what I thought I was doing, by playing by their rules, you would be safe.

But instead you are in more danger than ever. You are living directly in the dragon's lair. He charmed his way into your life, it wasn't enough to deny me to be with my wife and son, he decided he had the right to do so. I know all of this will probably come like a shock for you and hard to believe. It's a lot to take in. I have proof if you would like to see for yourself.

Michael

.

After reading the letter Sara was devastated. With Jacob's behavior these last months, with hiding the cranes as the icing on the cake, she didn't need proof. It was all true. Thinking back, all of the things they have argued about had something to do about Michael, in one way or another.

It didn't make sense at the time, but now... if Jacob knew all along Michael wasn't only alive, but he was the one that kept Michael away from her. Then he definitely wanted to keep his control over her and not wanted her to think of Michael to often. Now it made perfect sense.

Why he wanted her to take his name. Why he reacted so strongly when LJ brought over his pictures of Michael when he was younger, so Mike would have a picture of his father. Why he got so angry when she had the tattoo made. She wanted to keep the memories of Michael alive and Jacob wanted to bury them.

Sara started to cry. How could Jacob do this to them? How could a man that supposedly loves a woman send the man she loves away to have her for himself? Steal another man's wife. How is it possible in this millennium, it sounds like something in a history book or in a fictional novel.

.

Michael stood around the corner and watched Sara read his letter. How will she react to him being alive? She was so beautiful. Just standing this close to her is affecting him, soothing him. He has waited a long time for this moment, when he finally will see her and talk to her again. When he saw the tears, he was certain she was done and it was time to make his presence known. He stepped in through the slightly open door and closed it quietly behind him.

"Sara." Michael said almost whispering because he didn't want to startle her too much.

Sara turned around and gasped loudly. She stared at him for a second before immediately went into his arms and buried her head against his chest. Michael closed his arms around her. They stood holding each other close for a long time while Sara cried.

"Michael, oh Michael. You are alive." Sara smiled through the tears. "I have missed you." Sara caressed his cheeks, his scalp.

"Sara. So I have longed for this day, when I could see you, talk to you and hold you again. If I had known all of this... Michael nodded to the letter... I should have taken you and disappeared, a life on the run with you and Mike would have been better than this. It has been like torture to stay out of your life, our life we were suppose to have. Now I know why he denied me to have any contact with you or Linc, I pleaded and begged so many times. I never understood why I couldn't at least talk to you on the phone or something, the threat against you was forcing me to still do what he said. But then I would have known what he did and then we would have another ball game to play with."

"Where have you been, Michael?"

"My home, or rather where Poseidon put me is nearby here, in Aurora. I thought it was a bit risky to be so close and that the temptation to see you would be too high. But Poseidon said I had to deal with it, as he was too lazy to travel any longer distance when he had to give me my assignments."

"So close!" Sara exclaimed.

In between I have been spending much time in cheap motels all over the country, when I have been researching how to break in or out of different facilities."

"Why didn't you write me a letter? I would have waited for you, if I only knew. We could have seen each other secretly."

"You mean everything to me. I couldn't take the risk of Poseidon finding out. After seeing that video of them almost running you down, I had no doubt they would execute their threat. So the only thing I could think to do was send the cranes to you, it was comforting to me and I hope it did the same to you."

"I should have trusted my instinct, that they were from you. I wish I found one earlier, then it maybe would have been different, before I met Jacob."

"You didn't get them?"

"No, I only found them recently. Then it all started, the looks he have me, his behavior and the argument we had about it. Then Mike saw Jacob throw down something in a storm drain and he discovered all the cranes. Jacob had opened my mail and thrown them away."

"He did what? So he knew about them from the start then?"

"I didn't have any of the coded cranes left, but I think I told him about them at some point. Once we were married, he definitely know, we had a huge fight about it."

"I was hoping he didn't know what they were or meant. He must have seen one at the apartment he rented for me. He dropped by unannounced one day in the beginning, he usually made me come and meet him when he gave me my assignments. But why didn't he call me out on it if he knew I was breaking the rules? And how did he get the earlier ones I sent before you moved, before you and he bought the house in Ithaca?"

"I don't know."

"He must have had me under surveillance from the start, took my letter from the mailbox after I mailed them, there is no other explanation. It still doesn't explain why he didn't punish me or wait... when exactly did he know you knew about the cranes? When did you talk about them for the first time?"

"I found the first one about 7 months ago. I thought it was Lincoln that send it, who else would know. But I couldn't get in touch with Lincoln, so I sort of forgot about it until I found the second one about 2 months ago. The first crane I put away in my desk, the second one I left on the counter for a while. Jacob probably saw it, but we didn't talk about it until my neighbour commented on Jacob's behavior one day. That he had been home in the middle of the day for several days in a row, just to check the mailbox, then leave again. I asked what he was doing, he gave some excuse he was expecting a very important letter."

"So he went home to make sure you didn't find any?"

"It seems that way, I don't know if he did that all the time or just then. Did you send them regularly at the same time each time?"

"If I wasn't on an assignment I tried to send one each month and it was around the same time, end of the month."

"The third crane he didn't have time to hide from me. I sort of snuck up on him, coming home from visiting Heather, my neighbour. He stood with the mail in his hand. When I saw the letter for me, I took it from the pile. I opened it in front of him, he asked what it was, but he didn't look that surprised. I asked him if he had seen anymore letters like that for me, but he denied it. Now that I think of it, he looked pretty angry. I haven't confronted him about all the cranes Mike found in the drain, that was only two days ago."

"The third crane, when was that?"

"Last month, the 17th I believe."

"That's when I got this assignment I am on now. It's an impossible mission, very low chances to succeed. Maybe because it is, he maybe thinks he could get rid of me on this mission. I could get killed or caught trying to escape, either way will put me away for good. The prison is a ruthless one where rules don't count. That must be it... he thought he had control over the situation, kept destroying the cranes. But now when you know, he had to do something to get rid of me. Luckily he didn't just kill me. It's not like he doesn't have any blood on his hands as it is."

"Thank God he didn't do that. What do we do now? In your letter you said you had a plan."

"You and Mike have to get to safety. I saw Lincoln yesterday and we come up with a rush plan to disappear for a while."

"Yeah?" Sara smiled. "How did Lincoln take it? Did he punch you?" Sara caressed his face. "I don't see or feel any damage."

Michael laughed. "No, he didn't punch me. Maybe he wanted to, but he hugged me pretty hard. How soon can you leave? How are your routines? Who picks up Mike?"

"We both do, so that's not a problem. This friday is actually perfect. Jacob has a late meeting and will be home later than usual. I can tell Mike's kindergarten teachers he will be away on vacation."

"Good. If he is going to be late, we have more time and a bigger lead before he knows what has happened. Pack some clothes and a few small things you and Mike don't want to leave behind. There is no telling when we can come back and take everything you want. I will be back here tomorrow with the exact time plan. Me and Linc will go over the details."

"Okay. I can't believe you were so close all this time. If the roles was reversed , I don't think I could resist not seeing you."

Michael smiled. "As I said, the temptation to see you was strong. So strong that I couldn't resist. I had to see you. I was so desperate to see you and our child, so I had to take the risk and check up on you. " Michael took up a photo from his back pocket. "Here."

Sara looked at the photo of her and Mike. "Where is this taken? At the zoo?"

"Yes, at the zoo. You almost saw me. A park ranger thought I was acting a little suspiciously lurking in the green areas a bit away from the path. When he talked to me, I saw you turned around, so I had to run and got away just in time. A part of me wanted to be discovered, so I had no other choice, but to take you and run. But I couldn't make you run for your life again, you had gone through enough with me already. A life on the run is no life for a pregnant woman or a small child. I love you too much to put you in that situation again."

"I would have done that to be with you, Michael. We would have made it work together, I'm sure of it. I was so lost without you, if I hadn't been pregnant, I don't know what I had done. That was what kept me going, our child. It was not fair you had to die and miss out on our child growing up and he had to grow up without a father. He will be over the moon happy that you are alive."

"I can't wait to meet him."

"You will love him, Michael. He is an amazing and wonderful little boy. He has inherent so much from you, his way to think, his ability to learn fast and same facial expressions."

"I have no doubt he is nothing else then perfect. With you as his mother, how could he not be." Michael smiled at her. "Speaking of Mike, could I see some pictures of him before I go?"

"Certainly." Sara handed him her phone. She watched as he swiped through the pictures. He looked so happy and studied most of the pictures thoroughly, the ones he swiped fast away must be with Jacob in them.

Sara started to cry again. Michael was alive. Her son, their son had a father. She could go home and tell her darling son a miracle happened, his wish came true. His father was alive and would very much like to see him.


	6. Chapter 6

Sara could see in the corner of her eye that Jacob gave her another of those puzzled looks he has given her all evening. She sat and read a story for Mike, which was sitting in her lap. It was maybe not a great idea to turn her head when Jacob kissed her when he came home. She told Michael that she would do as he said, wear the mask, play the game, pretend that nothing is wrong. But the second she saw him, she couldn't bear him touching her, much less kiss her. So she turned her head away, so the kiss landed on her cheek instead.

He didn't say anything about it, just gave her a puzzled look. She didn't give him an explanation either, so it was a weird atmosphere in the room. They talked during dinner, but never about that. She spent most of her attention to Mike since he got home. After Michael left her office, she just wanted to rush home and tell Mike his father is alive.

Despite the terrible news that she is living with a psychopath, a man that forced her husband away from her and took his place in her life, she is so happy. Michael is alive, her prayers have been answered. She thought about it some more and decided to wait to tell Mike. He is smart for his age, but he is still a child and he maybe would accidentally slip and tell someone he is going to meet his father finally.

Jacob can't know that something is going on, that they are gone the day after tomorrow. She will just have to pretend for two days, but she already made him a little bit suspicious and that's not good. Just looking at him makes her blood boil, thinking about what he did to them, what she lost because of him.

Now she understands how couples you see on TV or hear about ending up hating each other. How love could turn into hatred. So much that they can't even be in the same room for their children's birthday parties, or ugly divorces where they sue the other one for every penny they have. In most of those cases there are much minor things to turn things around then in her case. She doubts there are many that have experienced what she and Michael was put through. Only murder could top their case.

After reading Michael's letter, all love she ever felt for Jacob instantly turned to hate. It wasn't the love she felt for Michael, but she did love Jacob. It's all gone now. She feels so ashamed that he fooled her like this, their entire time together and marriage is built on a lie. Does he even love her? Or is it what Michael feared, that Jacob married her as a punishment for Michael sending the cranes to her. It was a contact of some kind after all.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"You stopped reading."

Sara realized she had let her thoughts wandered. "So I did. I'm sorry. Go brush your teeth and put on your jammies. I will finish the story once you are in bed."

"Okay."

Sara kissed the top of his head before putting him down.

.

Sara was still sitting in Mike's bed, leaning against the headboard. Mike had fallen asleep a while ago. She didn't want to go and lie beside Jacob in their bed. He did stop by before and asked if she was coming to bed soon. She answered him in a bit. That was maybe two hours ago. Thinking of sleeping next to him made her sick to the stomach. If he would try to start anything, she is afraid she would scream and kick him out of the bed. Then he would definitely know something is up.

Maybe she could sleep here and then sneak into the bedroom before Jacob wakes up and make it look like she had slept there. If he asks when or why she didn't get to bed, she could answer that he was already asleep or that she fell asleep while reading to Mike.

Satisfied with that solution, she moved so she lay more comfortable and snuggled down next to Mike. "My darling son, I have something very good to tell you soon. Your wish has come true." Sara whispered softly and kissed him before shutting her eyes.

.

* * *

Michael woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep. Now he was sitting outside the cabin he have rented. A remote cabin surrounded by woodland. This is going to be their little hideout for the time being.

Today is the day he will be reunited with his family. Lincoln will pick up Sara and Mike and bring them here. Today is the day he will meet his son. He can't wait to see the life he and Sara created together. He lacks words to describe how wonderful it was to hold Sara in his arms again. How many times he had dreamt of that.

The situation at hand was unexpected in a good way. Michael always thought that when he was going to see Sara again, he had to remember that she was married to someone else. He would be Mike's father, but would have to suffice with just see Sara when he was picking up and leaving Mike. They would not be together, but now... now there is a chance they could be together together, they could be husband and wife again.

He never stopped loving her. He has no doubt that she loved him as much as he loved her. That love could flame up again. With time they could be a couple again and they could be back on track with their lives they so cruelly was denied.

.

* * *

It's friday morning and time to set their plan in motion. While she was on her way to Mike's room, she thought about yesterdays meeting with Michael. All day she waited anxiously for his return, didn't even want to leave her room to go to the bathroom, in case she would miss him.

The day before she was so shocked that she barely touched him, didn't say how much she missed him. When she got home and laid there holding their son, all her feelings that she had suppressed surfaced up. How much she loved him. How much she loved the way he kissed her and the way he touched her.

She felt like a teenager, so eager to see the boy you had a crush on. When he arrived it was such a joy to see his beautiful features and his beautiful smile. She really missed that smile.

After he explained his plan, every details and instructions she needed to do, they experienced a deja-vu. It was one of those moments they had back in the infirmary. Where they stood looking into each others eyes, pulse raising and breathtaking waiting for something. She thought they would kiss, but they got interrupted by someone knocking on Sara's door and Michael had to go.

Sara looked at her son, lying there in his bed sleeping so peacefully. She sat down on the bed. "Mike. It's time to get up." Sara caressed his cheek.

Mike stirred a little before he opened his eyes. "Good morning, Mommy."

"Good morning, sweetie. Today is a special day. Jacob has done and said some bad things, so you and I are going away alone for the weekend."

"Is it about the cranes?"

"Amongst other things yes. I will explain later this evening. He can't know that we are going away, it's our secret."

"Okay."

"I want you to put on your favourite clothes and pack small stuff that you want to take with you in your backpack. Put the larger things and more clothes under your mattress and I will take them with me when I return home. We can't pack the car with it al now or Jacob will see it."

"I understand. Where are we going?"

"That's also a secret for now. It's a good surprise, a very good surprise. I will pick you up after kindergarten and then we will leave."

"I will not say a word."

"Good boy. Up you go." Sara kissed him on the temple.

Mike threw off the covers and rushed up to pick out clothes and things. Sara smiled and was about to leave his room when she saw him reaching for the picture on his desk, the one with Michael, Lincoln and LJ.

"No, honey. You can't take that. Jacob will notice if that is missing, if he looks into your room."

"But Mommy, this is my favourite picture of daddy. I want it with me."

"I know it is and I promise I will bring it with me when I collect the other things."

"You promise?"

Mike looked so intensely at the picture that Sara almost couldn't stand keeping it to herself, that he would see both his beloved uncle Lincoln and his father tonight. But it was better to keep it a secret until they made it to safety, far away from Jacob in case something happened. If Jacob stopped them, but didn't know, they could just wait a day or two and make another attempt.

"Yes, I promise."

.

"Mike, can you and Dylan wait for me in the car? I need to talk to Heather for a few minutes."

"Okay, Mommy."

"Thank you for dropping Dylan off at kindergarten today. You spared me a trip over, I was just on my way to you. I don't feel too good this morning and think I will stay home today."

"No problem. I need a favor, Heather. Could you look out the window now and then and give me a call when you don't see Jacob's car anymore?"

"Sure, but why?"

"Jacob has done things I can't accept, so I have to go away for a while to think."

"Sara! He hasn't hurt you, has he? Then you must call the police."

"No, he hasn't hurt me physically and I wish I could go to the police, but it's impossible. They can't help me."

"What do you mean they can't help you? What has he done then?"

"I can't tell you, the less you know, the better for you. I will call you in a few days and explain it all. But for now I want you to call my phone a few times, send a few texts. Don't be surprised if Jacob answer it. Maybe he will call you or knock on your door, play along as if you don't know I have gone away. Ask if I still want to have Dylan over for a sleepover or if we are baking together for the kindergarten sale next week. That sort of things."

"I don't understand."

"I can't tell you more now. If you don't know anything, you will act more naturally. I will explain, I promise. Will you help me?"

"Yes of course. I will do what you said."

.

* * *

Sara had dropped the boys off and proceeded to her work where she waited for Heather to call. When the call came, the signal that the coast was cleared. Sara rushed home. She packed some of her clothes, went to Mike's room to get his extra clothes and the things he picked out. She smiled when she saw the clothes he choosed. All his favourites and his soccer shirt with his last name on it. On the way out she grabbed the photo on the desk.

Michael looked so young, yet so handsome. They all looked so young, LJ was a child at age 10 in this photo and now he is a grown man at 22. She put the picture in her bag. At the door she remembered something very important, her gift to Michael. Something she has wanted to do all these years, it's not only Mike that is getting his wish fulfilled. She took out an album and a box, Mike's baby pictures. Michael would love to see those.

Now she is sitting here at her desk in her office waiting for the time to pass so she could go and pick Mike up and let the last phase begin. She has two important conversations left to do. Her boss, the head of the hospital and Mike's kindergarten headmaster.

.

* * *

Her boss had been very disappointed at her for not telling him she wanted to take her personal days for a vacation sooner. Although he seemed to buy the explanation of an unexpected surprise trip as a gift from her husband, but he still wanted to be told with bigger notice. There are protocol and rules to follow. All she could say was that she was sorry.

Sara knocked on the headmaster's door. This meeting will not go easy either. Kindergartens have rules too.

"Enter."

"Hi, Mrs Franklin."

"Hi Sara." She looked at her watch. "You are early. Mike will not be out for another 30 minutes."

"Yes, I know. I need to talk to you. Mike is going to be absent for a while. We are going on an unexpected trip. My husband surprised us with it."

"That sounds exciting. But Sara, you know the rules, you must give notice in advance for vacation trips. It's not good for the children to miss out on the education in the middle of a semester."

"I know I am breaking the rules and I'm sorry."

"How long will you be gone?"

"That's a part in the surprise. I don't know. It could be a few weeks, maybe longer."

"But Sara..."

Sara holds up her hands to stop her. "I know he may lose his place here, but we have to go. If that happens, I want to thank you and all the teachers for taking care of my son. He has really liked to be here, he got a lot of friends amongst the other children. It is a good environment and it felt safe having him here."

"Thank you. We do what we can to make it perfect for everyone, both the children and their parents. Mike is such an adorable boy, he hasn't been any trouble at all. I will do what I can for him to keep his spot here."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

.

So far so good. Sara stood and waited for Mike to come out. She was getting a bit nervous. Now it was just one thing left on the instructions she got from Michael. Meet up with Lincoln. They are going to meet Lincoln at a shopping center. She will park her car there, leave her phone, her purse, her credit cards. Leave everything that can be traced. Then she and Mike will go into the mall and out through a different entrance and there will Lincoln meet them. He will pick them up in a camper and they will be on their way to a safe hideout, where they will be reunited with Michael.

Nothing can go wrong now, it would be so cruel if she would run out of luck so close to put an end to this nightmare she has been living. Luckily she only had knowledge of it for two days or she would have killed him a long time ago.

Sara looked down at the ring on her finger and took it off. Finally she could throw this to hell. Ever since she found out what kind of man Jacob was, it felt like the ring burned her skin. She can now put her old ring back, Michael's ring. It's in the box with Mike's baby pictures.

.

"Mommy." Mike came running. "I didn't tell anyone our secret and just told Dylan I will be going on vacation at the end, just like you said I could."

"Good boy." Sara kissed him on the top of his head.

"When will you tell me where we are going?"

"Soon, baby. Soon."


	7. Chapter 7

They got into the car and drove away. 20 minutes later they reached the mall Michael picked out, it was at the outskirt of town. They wanted to trick Jacob to think they headed that way out of the county, but instead they would head the opposite way.

Sara opened her purse and took out her driving license and social security card. Everything else was to be left behind according to Michael's instructions. She took the bag with their clothes and hold out her free hand to Mike. "Come. It's not far to the first surprise."

.

They walked through the mall and out on the other side. Near the entrance was a camper parked, it was the only one, but for clarity, a paper crane was visible in the corner of a window. Sara knocked on the door. It opened up and she entered first with Mike close behind her. Sara put the bag down and closed the door. She turned around and with her hands on Mike's shoulders, she hold him tight and turned him in the direction of the man that stood in the back.

"Uncle Lincoln!" Mike shouted and run to him.

Lincoln picked him up and hugged him tight, but gently in his strong arms.

"I have missed you so much, Uncle Lincoln."

"I have missed you too. I'm sorry I haven't come to visit you lately, but from now on it will be better."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Over Mike's shoulder he could see Sara smiling, but with tears in her eyes. Lincoln patted Mike on the back as a signal for him to release his grip, so he could go back down.

"Sara." Lincoln stretched an arm out. Sara went into his arms and hugged him.

"Oh Lincoln, I thought we wouldn't ever see you again. We have really missed you."

"I know. I'm so sorry. That will change now."

"Yes."

"How much does he know?" Lincoln whispered in her ear.

"Nothing yet, I thought I would tell him on the way." Sara whispered back. "I will feel safer once we leave this place behind us."

"Okay, let's go." Lincoln kissed her on the cheek before breaking up the hug. "I would also feel better when we are miles from here. Mike you and your mother will have to hang out back her out of sight for a while before you can sit up front."

"Okay." Mike looked between them, their tone indicating a fear of some kind, but their happy faces contrariwise it. In fact, his mother has been smiling and been happier than usual these last three days.

"Come Mike, let's get you buckled up so we can hit the road." Lincoln said and hold out his hand.

Lincoln had turned one of the kitchen chairs into a device he could buckle Mike up so he would be safe in case of an accident.

"Here. I got some papers and pens. I know you like to draw if that hasn't changed."

"No, I like to draw, it's fun. Thanks Uncle Lincoln."

"This is for you, Sara." Lincoln took the crane from the window.

Lincoln smiled when he saw how Sara's eyes lit up. Lincoln procced to the driver's seat, started the vehicle and drove away. Sara made herself comfortable in the kitchen sofa opposite from Mike. She smiled when she turned the crane around and saw the writing under the wing. 'Open me'. She did and there were more writing.

'I have been looking forward to this day so much. The day I will be reunited with my family. With my wife, my son, my brother, with everyone I love. I have prayed for this day to come, to be a reality and not just a fantasy or a dream. That one day we will be the family we were suppose to be. I never lost faith. I love you both so much.'

Sara felt the tears started to fall again.

Mike looked up from his drawing. "Are you crying, Mommy? What's wrong?"

"Happy tears, sweetie. Everything is good, more than good."

Mike looked worried at her, but she still looked happy even with tears in her eyes. It must have something to do with the surprise, with that she hasn't told him yet. She has always kept her word to him, so when it's time she will tell him.

.

"You can come and sit up front if you want to now, Sara. I would say we made it, we are home free. I have taken many turns into smaller roades and haven't seen another car in the rearview mirror for ages now."

Sara got startled by his voice. She was still holding the crane, she knew she folded it back after reading it, but that must been a while ago, if judging by how many drawings Mike has done. She looked at her watch and it has been almost two hours since the left the mall.

Mike was so focused on what he did, just like his father. Her precious son. Don't think normal 5-year-olds would have so much patience as Mike has. He hasn't asked where they are going, when they are there yet, just that first time when she picked him up. Ha hasn't disturbed her in her thoughts or distracted Lincoln while he was driving with a thousand questions.

Seeing his uncle for over a year of absencet, she knows he definitely has them. Sara reached out a hand and ruffled his hair. Mike looked up.

"It's time to tell you why we had to go. Let's get you more comfortable." Sara unbuckled him and they got back to the sofa. She took his hands in her hands.

"Now this is both good and bad. The good thing is a miracle, your father is alive. He isn't dead like we thought, he has been in hiding." Sara saw how an unmistakable joy filled his eyes, his whole face was displaying happiness.

"He is?"

"Yes, baby. He is very much alive. Our prayers have been answered, your wish has come true, you will meet your father. We are going to him now."

"We are?"

"Yes. You will be able to see him, talk to him. He wants very much to see you too. He didn't stay away on his on will, someone forced him to. Now to the hard part. That person is Jacob."

All happiness disappeared in an instant. "Jacob?" Mike stuttered on the verge of tears and then they started to fall. Mike didn't want to believe that.

Sara nodded and said. "I am afraid so." She wiped the tears away with her thumbs, before taking him in her arms and he sobbed against her chest.

"It's alright, baby. We are safe now, we got away and we will never go back to him again. Jacob is a bad man and dangerous, that's why I had to keep it a secret until we got away so he couldn't stop us." Sara kissed his head and comfortable stroke his back.

"Jacob said he loved me. He said he wanted to adopt me and then I maybe could take his name and start calling him dad. He wanted me to tell you that we both should take his name. He said you would be proud of me, if I said I wanted to take his name, so we would be a real family."

"What did you say?"

"I said that he was my stepfather and he was going to raise me, so I wanted to have something of my real father and what is better than his name. I remember what you said to me before you married him, when I asked if we were going to change name. That you wanted to keep his name alive, not let it be forgotten, that's why I am named after him and also named Michael Scofield."

"Good boy." What a bastard, Sara thought to herself. How dare he manipulate her son. What kind of man does that to a child? How could he have tricked her, deceived her like this? How could she not see what a man he really was?

"Why would Jacob do this to daddy?"

"I don't know all details yet, only that Jacob wanted Michael to work for him. When Michael refused. Jacob forced him by threatening to hurt us. We only talked about the essential, then we had more pleasant things to talk about...you."

"You did?" The tears had subdued and his smile was returning.

"Yes, the first thing he wanted was to see pictures of you. He is really looking forward to see you, get to know you. I told you before when I was still pregnant, how much he was looking forward to be a daddy, that hasn't changed."

"I want to meet him so much."

"I know and now you will. Here." Sara handed him the crane. "Read this, that is how much he wants this, how he feels."

Sara doesn't know if it's common for 5-year-olds to read and write already or if it's something he got from Michael. She has no memories that she could do that at that age, a few words here and there, but not fluently and whole books and magazines. Sara smiled when his whole face displayed that unmasked joy again when he read what his father wrote.

.

"How much further is it now, Lincoln? Sara asked. They had moved and now was sitting up front.

"One hour or so I think."

"How long time did it take for you to trust your eyes when you saw him?"

"I thought I was seeing a ghost."

"I asked if you punched him, but you didn't apparently."

Lincoln chuckled. "It was close though. I probably should have for making us think he was dead."

Sara smiled. "Yeah." She put a hand on his shoulder. "We got him back, Lincoln. It's truly a miracle. We can do everything we planned now, although a bit late. He will be able to see his son grow up after all, I can tell him about our wonderful son. And you my darling son...Sara hugged him...will finally meet your father."

"Will I recognize him?" Mike asked.

"Yes, he hasn't changed much from the picture, just older. Not like uncle Lincoln that looks a bit scrawny on it."

"Scrawny? Me...I resent that." Lincoln said in an indicated tone. "What picture?"

"Go and get the picture, Mike. It's in the bag by the door. You will see." Mike ran and did what she asked. "Show it to your uncle."

Lincoln took a look at it and without thinking he burst out. "What the hell! That can't be me. When was this picture taken?"

"LJ said he was 10 at the time and he is 22 now, so 12 years ago."

"You are right, Sara. I do look scrawny."

They all laughed. Mike looked between the picture and his uncle. It was a pretty huge difference. He has more muscles now and tattoo's which he didn't have then. But he was the best uncle in the world.

.

* * *

Back at the house, Jacob got home and was surprised that Sara's car wasn't in the driveway. He was the one that was going to be late home today, not Sara. He picked up his phone and called her. "Hmm, no answer and no text from her either. Where could she be?" He muttered to himself.

Jacob went inside, put down his briefcase and went through the mail. Then it hit him, she didn't find another crane with more writing on it, did she? One that explained it all or enough so she figured it out on her own. She has been acting a little weird lately.

Jacob rushed up to their bedroom to see if her clothes are missing. He opened all wardrobes and drawers, but so far he could judge it was all there. A check in the bathroom for all her toiletries seemed to be in order too. Jacob checked Mike's room and it looked like nothing was missing from there too. Jacob wasn't so thorough in his search, so he missed the frame was turned away and it wasn't even the same frame.

Jacob called her again and still no answer. He went to the study and his computer to check where Sara's car is. What Sara doesn't know is that he has put a tracking device in her car. Actually he has bugged her phone too. In this day and age, there are different apps that can tell the whereabouts of those you want to find, but his is more advanced. When her car was located at a shopping mall, he relaxed a bit. She was just running late shopping.

.

* * *

For the last 20 minutes, the roads Lincoln drove on had become more and more smaller. This last road according to Michael's map wasn't even a gravel road, more like overgrown tire tracks. After a little steep climbing they came up to a clearing and had reached their end destination, a cabin Michael had rented.

Sara smiled when she took Mike's hand and walked towards the cabin. Now they were just seconds away to be reunited with Michael. They entered the cabin.

"We are here now." Lincoln called out.

Michael appeared from the back rooms. He was smiling and his eyes were roaming all of them standing there by the door. He still had the same intense gaze, she could feel his love when he looked at her. Mike's gaze could almost match Michael's when father and son saw each other for the first. For a few minutes it was like a dead man stand, nobody of them moved an inch.

Sara gently pushed Mike forward. "Go on, go to your daddy. He would very much love a hug."

After a few careful steps, Mike ran to Michael. "Daddy. Daddy."

Michael picked him up and Mike put his little arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Michael closed his arms around him to hold him up. Sara got a few tears in her eyes watching the sweet moment of father and son hugging. Something she thought she never would see.

"That is one damn good sight to see." Lincoln said and put his arm around Sara.

Sara leaned her head on his shoulder and stroke the tears away with one hand and said. "The best."


	8. Chapter 8

Mike released his death grip around Michael's neck so he could look at his father.

"Hi Mike."

"Hi."

"I can't believe I finally are holding my son in my arms."

Sara and Lincoln had walked up to them.

"Believe it. It's about time I say. Long overdue." Lincoln said.

Michael looked at him. "Linc." Michael hugged him still holding Mike in his arms. "Did you have any problems on the way?"

"No, not what I could see. I followed your instructions to the letter to see if I was being followed. I never saw the same car twice."

"Good. Then we should be safe." Michael turned to Sara. "Sara."

He wanted so badly to kiss her. Would she welcome a kiss or was it too soon? Maybe they should talk things through first, rather than just assume they are getting back together because her marriage got blown to pieces. He knows she has feelings for him, he could feel it, but are they the same feelings that she had before? It's unrealistic to think that they just can pick up where they were so abruptly cut off right away, maybe with time. He wants that more than anything, his feelings has never changed. Better take it slow and let her set the pace. He expressed his feelings in the last crane, so she should know how he feels.

Sara just loved when he said her name with that much emotion. It reminds her of when they met in the infirmary. Before their first kiss, when they had all those intense moments, just saying each others name and looking deeply into each others eyes. It reminds her of when they fell in love, it was love at first sight. She denied it of course, but it was the truth.

Lincoln saw how they looked at each other and decided to help out. "Come here, buddy." He took Mike from Michael.

"Sara." Michael said again.

Sara put her arms around his waist, her head against the side of his neck and pressed her body tight to his. This time she wasn't shocked by the discovery he was alive, so she wanted to really enjoy being in his arms again. She inhaled his aftershave, the familiar fragrance surrounded her. This is home. She has missed him so much.

"How did it go at your end?" Michael asked. "Did he suspect anything?"

"I couldn't play the game when it came to it, I couldn't ignore what he did to us, not even for two days. I think he got a little bit suspicious of my behavior, but he couldn't possibly figure out I would disappear."

"Okay. It's all good, now it's too late for him to do anything about it. The rules have just changed. You and Mike are safe, we are all together again, our world has been set right."

"Yes, it's a day to celebrate."

"Yeah, indeed it is. So now when we are all together, I want to know everything I missed. I have a lot of catching up to do. Especially about this young man." Michael took Mike back from Lincoln.

"Mike, I'm so happy that I finally get to see you. It's been like torture to stay away from you and your mother. I didn't want to, I was forced to. All I wanted was to be with you guys."

"Where have you been?"

"All over America. I have been forced to work for a man in order to keep you safe, he sent me to many different locations all over the country."

"What kind of work? Mommy told me you design buildings, like skyscrapers. It doesn't seem like you have to stay away from your family to do that."

Michael gave Sara a quick glance before looking at Mike again. "I don't want to start our relationship by lying to you or withhold the truth. But I think you might be too young to hear the whole story now. It has some frightened and violent parts, not suitable for small children. I promise you, I will tell you everything once you are older."

"Oh." Mike looked a little disappointed.

"Tell you what, let's make a deal. I ask you questions today and you can ask me tomorrow. I will talk to your mother and together we will decide what I can tell you now and what will have to wait until you are older. How about that? Do we have a deal?"

"Okay. Deal."

"Good. You can always write your questions down so you don't forget them and when it's time, you already have some questions ready to go." When Mike didn't reply immediately, Michael got a unsecure look in his eyes. When do children learn to write and read? "Can you write? And read?" Michael asked carefully.

"Yes, I can. Mommy said it must be from you , that I already can do it. Why I am ahead of the other children in my group."

Michael smiled again. "Good. That's two things I now know. I have so much to learn, I have missed so much of you growing up by not being there from the start. I want to know everything about you. What's your favorite cereal? Do you play any sport? Have you learned how to ride a bike?"

Sara smiled as Michael went to the couch and sat down still holding Mike in his arms. Michael kept firing questions at a rapid speed and Mike answered them equally fast. She has no doubt that Michael will store all this new information and knowledge in his memory banks and tomorrow he will remember it all. She even learned a few new things she didn't know he liked. Maybe all parents should do this with their children, play 20 questions or in this case, more like 100 questions.

.

* * *

Jacob disconnected his phone. Still no answer from Sara. Jacob scrolled down and made another call.

"Hi Heather. It's Jacob."

"Hi."

"Is Sara with you? She isn't answering her phone."

"No, I haven't seen her since she picked up Dylan this morning."

"Okay thanks. Bye."

"Bye."

.

* * *

"Something is wrong. Sara isn't answering her phone and her car hasn't moved for hours. I need you and Van to go and check it out. I will send you the coordinates to where her car is."

"Okay, then what?"

"What do you mean then what?"

"If she isn't in it, shall we search the area? And if we find her, should we bring her back with us by any means?"

"Yes, find her. But she is not to be harmed or the boy."

"If she refuses then? Are we allowed to do what it takes?"

"Yes, to a certain degree. I repeat, she is not to be harmed."

"Fine. We will call you when we get there.

.

"Her car is here, but there is no trace of her. We have searched the entire mall. We asked a couple of store owners if they have seen her, but I guess it's almost impossible for them to pinpoint seeing a specific woman and child go by. Even now at closing time it's still a lot of people here."

"Her phone is also at that location. Do you see it in her car?"

"No, nothing is visible through the windows."

"Okay. Stay there, I will take the second key and come up to unlock the car." Could she have found out about Michael and went to see him? Did she know that he was the one behind it? Or did something not related to Michael happen to her and Mike? Could they have been kidnapped?

.

When Jacob arrived they found Sara's purse in the trunk of the car. It contained the car keys, her home keys, her phone and wallet with all her credit cards. At the bottom of her purse, Jacob found her wedding ring, the ring he gave her at their wedding. That Sara left the ring behind proved she knows. Somehow she found out. Maybe it was a crane or Michael contacted her directly. "Dammit! She must be with him right now."

Jacob looked at his watch. It's been hours since Mike's kindergarten ended, even more if she picked him up early. They could be anywhere now. All things he could trace her with is here, the car, the phone and the credit cards. She is smart or was it Michael's idea. If Michael broke the rules about contacting Sara, he will contact his brother too.

"I want every surveillance we have on Lincoln Burrows to be activated again immediately. I want to know every move he makes. I want them found."

.

* * *

Once home again, Jacob searched Sara's wardrobes again. He still can't see that anything is missing. She must have packed light, just one or two changes of clothes. Does that means she plan to return to collect more things? Maybe they think he will not think they are that stupid to return so soon, thinking he will continue to go to work and leave the house unguarded. Then they are surely mistaken. If they are returning, the chase will be short.

But he really don't think they are that stupid, so it will be a challenge, a battle between them and him. See who comes out on top. Him catching them versus whatever Michael are planning. It's not going to be easy.

Sara's phone didn't give away any clue either. The last call she made was to him. Her phone log from today showed four unanswered calls and three unanswered texts. All but one was from him, the other one from Heather.

.

* * *

Michael and Lincoln sat in the main room talking when Sara and Mike came up to them. Mike was already in his pajamas.

"Daddy, I'm ready for bed now." Mike said looking at him with a happy face.

"I thought you might wanna read him a story for the first time." Sara said with an equally happy face.

"Of course I want to."

"Good night, Uncle Lincoln." Mike gave him a hug.

"Good night, buddy. Sleep tight." Lincoln answered.

"I will be back out, Linc."

Michael took Mike's other hand and the three of them walked down the little hall in the back where the bedrooms were. It ended with Michael read a story first, then Sara read one too. When she was done, both her Michaels were asleep. He looked so peaceful sleeping. Maybe this was one of the few nights he really could relax and didn't have to be on guard for something. "So sweet." Sara said smiling.

A light knock on the door frame made her look up. "Indeed. No wonder he didn't come back out, he is asleep."

"I will wake him, Lincoln. I'm sorry. I didn't know I could put both of them to sleep by reading."

"No, let him sleep. We can talk tomorrow. There is no rush now. Good night, Sara."

"Night, Lincoln."

Sara didn't bother to change for the night either. She just scooted down to a more comfortable position, pulled Mike close to her and planned to look at Michael's beautiful face so long she can until she falls asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Michael woke up feeling very relaxed. More relaxed than he has been for the past years. He felt hands on his arm, little hands. Michael opened his eyes and saw the most wonderful view he seen in ages. His son in his mothers' arms, both sleeping. Mike was holding on to his arms that was stretched out on the bed, like he had tried to reach them in his sleep. He was fully clothed and so was Sara, they both must have fallen asleep when they read for Mike.

Now when there was no hurry like their previous meetings or worrying she would notice him when he was checking up on her from afar and out of sight. Now Michael could finally look at her the way he wanted to. Thanks to his condition, he had memorized every little line and feature of how she looks in his brain. All he had to do was to close his eyes, think of her and he would see her image.

Because of that he had survived all these years being separated from her better than he thought he would. She had a few new lines and wrinkles, but you hardly couldn't see she had aged at all. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world.

.

* * *

Jacob disconnected the call. The head of the hospital Sara worked on had taken the weekend off and the operator didn't give out his mobile number. Jacob scrolled down on the contacts in Sara's phone. The kindergarten...she must have told them something. He called the headmaster's number.

"Mrs Franklin? This is Jacob Ness. Mike's stepfather."

"Yes. Hello Mr Ness."

"I'm sorry to disturb you at home on the weekend, but did Sara talk to you yesterday?"

"Yes, she did."

"What did she say?"

"She said Mike will be away for a few weeks. That you was taking them on a vacation."

"She said it like that? What were her exact words? Do you remember word for word what she said?"

"She said she and Mike was going on an unexpected trip. That her husband surprised them with it. Is there any problems? Are you not going?"

Jacob grinded his teeth angrily. "No, no. We are. I'm just making sure you know Mike will not be coming in for a while."

"Okay. Have a nice trip."

"Thanks. We will. Bye."

"Bye."

.

* * *

Sara found Michael and Mike on a blanket looking at the stars. Michael was pointing out star constellations to his son. Sara smiled. Besides the obvious reasons for having Michael back in their lives, is that Mike will learn so many things Sara could never teach him. He will have even more knowledge than any other child in his age. Like this, she isn't sure she even heard of all those constellations Michael was pointing out.

It's hard to believe it's just been one day since they came here. Only 24 hours together and already so much they have talked about. Michael kept his words and let Mike ask any questions he wanted to. Many questions surprised them, both the nature of the questions and how complicated they were. A lot of them fell in the category it will have to wait until you are older, but Mike seemed satisfied with the answers he got.

Before that she and Lincoln got their answers too when all three of them talked. Now they know pretty much the whole story. But what they haven't talked about is them. Them as a couple. She is 100% absolutely sure that Michael loves her, she can both see it and feel it in how he looks at her. But he hasn't acted on it, the only physical contact they have had so far is two hugs.

A love strong as theirs couldn't just die out, she refuses to think it can. Now when she doesn't have to suppress her feelings, they have come to surface with rapid speed. Now when the man she loved more than anything is alive, she wants to be with him. She doesn't want to waste another second apart. She is about to go crazy if she doesn't get to kiss him soon, to touch him and make love to him.

She wants to consider these past 6 years as a nightmare and skip over it, to be husband and wife again. The question is why Michael hasn't done anything, if that is he can't forget about she has been married to Jacob. She certainly will forget as fast as she possibly can. Erase it from her memory.

"You remember what that bright star is called?"

"Yes, the Pole Star. It's part of the Ursa Minor and the one you should locate first."

"Very good. To the right is Cassiopeia and to the left..."

"Hey boys. Sorry to interrupt the education, but it's getting a bit late now."

Two heads turned in her direction, two happy smiling faces looking at her. It's uncanny how alike they have gotten in this short time.

"Hi Mommy. Daddy knows the names of all the stars."

Michael laughed softly. "That's a bit exaggerated, but I know a few."

"Your daddy knows a lot of things, but he can't teach you everything today. It's a day tomorrow to. Mike, go and brush your teeth. We will come in soon. I need to talk to your daddy."

"Okay." Mike got up and ran inside while Sara sat down on the blanket.

"It's incredible you can tell them apart, to me all the stars look the same. They are pretty though. I don't think I seen the night sky this clear since I was a child."

"Yeah, it's beautiful." Michael said, but she got a sense he didn't mean the stars. He was all focused on her.

"I know it has only been one day, but I got to know where we stand. Michael, can you forget about Jacob once this is over? Or will his actions always come between us, haunt us from the shadows. Will you be able to forgive me for letting him in, for marrying him?"

"Sara!" Michael sat up. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"How can you say that? I let him seduce me. Oh Michael, I'm married to our enemy. I have slept with the man that forced us apart."

"You didn't know that. You wanted to be happy, I understand that. It hurt when I heard you got married. I didn't want to know with whom, that's why I didn't know until now that Poseidon and Jacob were the same person. But to me we are still married, in my world you are still my wife. I love you, Sara. I never stopped loving you or hoping we would be together again one day."

"I have no doubt you love me, but can we put this behind us? Can you forgive and forget? Is there an us?"

"There is nothing to forgive, but if it's feel better for you. Yes, I can. My feelings haven't changed, Sara. I still considering us married, so I haven't looked at another woman. You are the only woman for me. You are the only one I want to be with. You and Mike means everything to me."

"I love you so much, Michael." Sara put her hands around his neck and pulled him closer so they could kiss. Their lips hovered an inch apart for what seemed for ages before they met in a soft kiss. It felt like their first kisses back in the beginning. When the intensity of the moment surrounding them made a simple kiss electrifying. Only Michael could make her feel like this. Each kiss that followed increased in intensity and desire until they were both breathless.

"Just to clarify, so there is an us?" Sara said smiling and caressed his scalp.

"Yes, I want very much there to be an us again."

"Exellent, then I would like us to make love tonight. I want to feel your naked body against mine. I want to be yours again."

"Yeah? There is nothing I want more than to have you in my arms again and make love to you. What about Mike?"

"We persuade Lincoln to take him for the night. Mike can sleep in the camper. He hasn't done that before, so he probably will think it will be fun."

"Sounds like a plan."

"I want to be all alone with you. Without anyone can hear us or interrupt. This night will be like a second first time together. Not many couples get that."

Michael laughed softly. "We are definitely not like any other couple."

"No, we are one of a kind."

"Mmm, that we are. Do we have time for a few more kisses?"

Sara smiled. "Always."

Their lips met again. They kissed under the stars before they walked back to the cabin hand in hand.

.

Sara closed the bedroom door, still holding Michael's hand. Then she spun around in Michael's arms again and kissed him. "I told you he would think it would be fun."

"Yes, you did. I know I have so much to learn about how he thinks or what he likes. But I didn't expect him to be that happy about such a mundane thing, it's not like it's a trip to Disneyland or a mountain of Christmas presents."

"He is still overwhelmed with happiness I think. Not only did he meet you, he got to see Lincoln again too. If you take Mike's reaction and multiple it with five, you may get close to how happy he got when I told him that you were alive."

"Yeah? How happy did you get?"

"Ten times more than Mike is what I feel."

"I wanted to kiss you the moment I saw you. I wasn't sure if a kiss would be welcomed, so I was gonna let you decide how things would be. You maybe needed time to digest all of this. Just because my feelings haven't changed, yours could have."

"Never. And now when we are alone I will show you that my feelings haven't changed."

"I have dreamt so many times that we were making love, just to wake up all alone."

"You will not wake up alone tomorrow, I promise. I will be right here. I missed you so much, Michael." Sara put her hands under his sweater, caressed his midsection before she pulled the T-shirt up from his pants.

Michael grabbed the hem of the T-shirt and pulled both items of clothing over his head. Now Sara's hands were touching his bare skin. Michael closed his eyes in delight. The sensation of her touching him again was overwhelming his senses, it's been so long since he felt her caresses. The desire rushed through his body even from this gentle touching.

Sara always had this effect om him, he doesn't know if it's from his condition or something else. But he feels so much, so intensity when he is with Sara. Every touch, every caress, every kiss makes what he feels enhanced. With Sara all his senses are super sensitive. He didn't feel this with those other few girls he has been with before he met Sara. Since that moment he hadn't even thougth about any other women.

Sara smiled when she saw how much they both enjoyed this, how much pleasure it gave them and they had just started. The night was still young and she hasn't even begun to do what she wants to do. They have 6 years of need to satisfy, 6 years of longing and dreaming. Sara stroke over his cheek and gave him a kiss before pulling her own sweater off. When Michael opened his eyes, she was unhooking her bra.

"I need you, Michael. Let's make love."

"I love you so much, Sara."

Michael backed them to the bed. He removed her remaining clothes, then his own. They lowered themselves down on the bed and let their hands and mouths do the talking. Flesh against flesh. Fiery lust rushing through them. The pent up desire from Michael and the longing from Sara collided in passionate lovemaking. Nothing existed then the pleasure, the sweet unforgettable pleasure of finally making love again. Reaching the fulfilling climax they both wanted, needed and dreamt of.

.

Sara woke up with her head on Michael's chest. Their naked bodies pressed against each other. She smiled when she remembered the night. She and Michael made sweet sweet love. She got to hold, kiss and make love to her husband. Her real husband, her supposedly dead husband. How many times haven't she wished they got more time together, not only like this, to be together physically, but more time in general.

To live the life they wanted and deserved after everything they gad gone through. And now when her wish miraculous come true, she will treasure every minute of this second chance. As she started to wake Michael up with light kisses, she heard voices outside the bedroom.

"Stop there, little man. Don't disturb your mother." Lincoln got a hold of Mike just before he was to charge into the bedroom.

"Why? She might be sick. She is always up before me. I have to check on her."

"I'm sure if we make our present her know...Lincoln raised his voice...both your mother and father will wake up and join us soon. How about I start breakfast? I can make my famous blueberry pancakes."

"Yes, please do that, Uncle Lincoln. I have missed them, they are yummy."

.

Michael slowly woke up and for the second night, the first he saw was Sara. A smiling Sara. He has always thought Sara was one of the most beautiful woman he ever met and when she smiles, she takes beauty to another level.

Michael smiled back. "Hi."

"Hi. I think Lincoln just saved us and stopped our son from barging in and find us naked in bed. I don't remember if we locked the door or not."

"I don't think we did."

Sara caressed his chest. "It was magical. I have missed this so much."

"You have no idea how much I have longed for this day, when I could make love to you again. I have dreamt of it for so long."

"As promised I'm right here when you woke up. And to really make sure it's not a fantasy, let's go for another round. We will have to make it fast though, before both Mike and Lincoln burst through the door."

Michael smiled as Sara pulled him down for a kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

"About what you said this morning, that our son didn't burst in and find us in bed? Would he dislike of me in your bed? How much does he know about adults and bedrooms?"

"He knows Jacob and I shard bed. He has come into our bedroom a few times at night, when he had a nightmare or when he hasn't been feeling well. I don't think he knows all details about sex and intercourse, but he knows that mom and dad's can make babies sometimes. When I remarried, he asked me if he was gonna have a brother or sister."

Michael inhaled sharply. It had hurt when he found out she had remarried and this hurt as bad, to think of that Sara would have another man's child. He missed so much, he was denied to see his son grow up by the man that did get to do that. Decided he got the right to do that, stole his family and maybe expand it with a child of his own. Sara could be pregnant right now. A quick glance at her waistline told him she didn't show any obvious baby bump though.

Sara saw his glance and put one hand on his. "No."

Michael sighed with relief. "What did you answer our son?"

"Losing you was very hard. It took me a long time to get over the fact I had to live my life without you. I had to raise our son alone, he would never you. Mike gave me such joy, but the sadness that you never were gonna experience anything he did was always present. So when I met Jacob and eventually married him, I didn't want to rush anything. It was hard enough to love someone else. So my answer was not at the moment. Maybe down the road I would have wanted more children, I know Jacob wanted it. Now I'm so happy I didn't give in and got pregnant. Having a child of his would be very different to love unconditionally, knowing now what kind of man he is."

"A child is never responsible for their parents' actions. You would love any child of yours, whoever the father was. But I'm glad you don't have to struggle your conscience with that too, you have been through enough to last two lifetimes."

"Yeah, it would be a lie to say it's been dull and normal. I could definitely live without some of the experiences. Meeting you is not one of them. Falling in love with you was one of the best things I ever did. Our love resulted in our beautiful son. Thinking Jacob was a good role model for Mike was one of the worst things I have done, that decision I really regret."

"Is Mike close to Jacob? Is he gonna be upset or sad that things can't go back to what it was? That I am coming into his life, is destroying everything."

"No. No, Michael. You can't think that. Mikes loves you. He has always wanted to meet his dad. It's his biggest wish, his only wish. At every falling star he sees, every time he blows out his birthday cake candles, every fountain where you could say make a wish, his only wish is that he could get to know his father and spend time with him."

"And Jacob?"

"Mike has accepted him as his stepfather. He treats him with respect and are polite. He likes him, but he comes to me first if there is anything he want or need comfort. He only goes to Jacob if I'm not around."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Mike shouted happily.

At the sound of Mike's voice, they turned around and saw Mike was running so fast his little legs could carry him against them. Lincoln had taken Mike for a walk in the forest and now they were back.

"He has never done that to Jacob. Being that happy to just see him and running to him." Sara said smiling.

"He is so beautiful. You did a great job raising him."

"We did good. We made him together remember. He is so like you. He is amazing. I got his baby pictures with me, We can look at them tonight."

"I would very much to see them." Michael smiled at Sara before he got down on his knees to catch his son that was close enough to throw himself into his father's arms.

.

* * *

Sara and Michael sat in the main room. They had just put Mike to bed. Now Michael starred intensive at the box he had in front of him. The box containing Mike's baby pictures.

"Go on, open it Michael. I promise you won't see Jacob. These pictures are before Jacob."

"Yeah?" Michael's mood lifted several degrees.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you won't get a touch of jealousy and sadness."

Michael turned his head and looked at her.

"Because it's a man that figuring in some of the pictures, actually two men, Lincoln and LJ. They helped me so much after you died. I don't know what I would have done without Lincoln's help. But we made sure he was an uncle, not his daddy. Mike as only known you as his father. He didn't call Jacob daddy, he used his first name." Sara touched his cheek and kissed him

"I was hoping Lincoln would take care of you in my absence. That he would look after you when i couldn't. I must thank him, I don't think I have yet."

"Yes, you have to do that. Lincoln has been my rock to lean on after your death. I couldn't wish for a better brother-in-law. Him and LJ are Mike's only relatives and the only family I have left too. But now... Sara opened the box... let me show you our beautiful baby boy." Sara smiled.

Even before Michael saw the first picture, he felt so happy. Sara's smile was contagious. Michael smiled back, his big happy smile, the one she fell in love with back in the infirmary.

"This is the very first picture taken, Mike is ten minutes old. And this..." Sara showed him all the pictures, told him where and the situation when the pictures were taken. Michael asked a lot of questions and Sara answered them all.

.

* * *

Sara woke up before Michael again. She just loved how peaceful he looks in his sleep. This night was as magical as the previous night. This is how she imagines their honeymoon would be if they didn't so cruelly was robbed of it. Making love all night long and in between talking and cuddling. Enjoying the closeness of naked bodies close to each other.

Sara woke him up by gentle caresses. Now in the morning light, she saw he had some new tattoos on his forearms. How could she have missed them yesterday? These weren't pictures, it seemed to be numbers and letters in a random order.

"I see you have new tattoos."

Michael stiffed. He hoped she didn't look too closely at them, he would hate to explain them. In fact, this was one secret he wished he could keep from her forever, that she never found out that his hands together forms the face of their enemy. A man she never wanted to be touched by again and asked him, Michael, to make that he once did a lost memory. Once this is over, he will remove these tattoos too.

"Yeah, it's information I need, both on the jobs I was forced to do and on my plan to be free from Poseidon."

"What are all these numbers?"

"They are codes, passwords, telephone numbers and web site addresses. Hiding information in a tattoo is a clever method, too good to not be used again."

"Yeah, it's geniusly actually. Nobody expects that. Nobody at Fox River did find out, did they? Your entire plan in plain sight."

"Not at Fox River, but Malone figure out some parts of the tattoo when he was hunting us."

Sara stroke over the numbers with one finger and then moved up the arm and over to his chest. "You know, sometimes I think it was too bad you had to remove your old tattoos. I miss them, I think they were sexy."

"Oh yeah?" Michael smiled.

"As I didn't know you before you got them, so to me they were a part of you. So much that I... maybe I shouldn't tell you this."

"What?" When Sara looked away and went quiet, Michael spoke again. "Come on, Sara. You can tell me."

"Well... I was walking on this boardwalk next to the beach. At an outdoor gym, I saw a young man that resembled of you. He had a shaved head and tattoos on his arms and chest. He reminded me about you and all of my feelings came rushing. How much I loved you and how much I missed you. How alone I was. If I hadn't had Mike with me, I think I would have given him a very much shameful indecent proposal. I was thinking I could sleep with him and pretend he was you. But I didn't."

Sara looked up when she heard him laughed. "You are not mad?"

"No. I would say lucky guy. It's not every day a beautiful woman gives you that kind of proposal. Sure, both men and women gets picked up at bars and hook up, but that direct in the middle of the day is unusual."

"He maybe wouldn't have said yes."

"I'm sure he would have."

"I really hope he was of age, so if I had asked, I hadn't made a pass on a minor. Would you have accepted such a proposal?"

"With you yes, anyone else no. I told you, I haven't been or even looked at another woman, because to me we are still married."

"No, before you went to prison."

"No, one night stands and casual sex isn't my thing. I would have been flattered, maybe asked her out on a date, but jump straight into bed no. I haven't been with many women."

"You said that once before and I find that hard to believe. What is wrong with the women in Chicago? They should be queuing outside to date you. I don't understand how could they not? You are one of the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. With your handsome features and killer blue eyes, there should be plenty of girls that would have their eyes on you. I fell for you the moment you stepped into the infirmary and introduced yourself."

"Moving around when I was younger made it hard to get friends and even harder to date and have girlfriends. When I got older and stayed in one location. I don't know...I want it to mean something. And there haven't been any hordes of women wanting my attention. Maybe I should have gotten tattoos earlier if that would have helped."

"On you it was very sexy. The tattoos hade my attention from the start. Speaking of tattoos, I have one too."

"You have?" Michael asked surprisingly.

Sara turned around and gathered up her hair and pushed it over her left shoulder so her whole back was visible to Michael. On her right shoulder he could see a paper crane tattood on her skin. How could he missed it last night? He caressed it.

"I didn't want to see my prison scar anymore, it was a reminder of losing you. Every time I saw it, it hurt. The scar represented a time I wanted to forget. But I didn't want to forget about you or our love. If something was gonna be on my body forever, I wanted it to be something good and beautiful and what better than a tattoo crane, they both represent you. I couldn't do something about the whip marks, but the prison scar was little enough to cover with something."

Michael was caressing the tattoo and when she talked about the whip marks, his eyes fell on the lower part of her back. He had almost forgotten she had been whipped and now seeing the scars it hit him all over again. She could hear him grasp and even if she didn't see him, she knows his whole facial expression and mood changed dramatically. She felt his fingers moved down and touched the scars that was now just white lines. She had some plastic surgery done on them, took away the ridges and made her back smooth again.

Sara turned around. "No, Michael. You can't be sorry or feel responsible again for me having my scars. It's in the past, Michael. No regrets, no redemption, no feeling you have to redeem yourself." She kissed him. "Remember in the beginning of the Scylla affair, out by the pier. You and I agreed to forget what happened before and start all over with clean slates. That is exactly what we are going to do. We got this second chance. We love each other and we are together, it's time for happiness and love and not dwell in the past." She kissed him. "Okay?"

"Okay."


	11. Chapter 11

Michael sat down beside Lincoln out on the porch, where Lincoln was enjoying the afternoon sun. Michael handed him a photo. "Thank you for taking care of Sara and Mike while I wasn't there to do it myself."

Lincoln looked at the picture. He was lying on a blanket on a grass lawn. LJ was sitting at the side and Mike was in the middle. They threw a ball between them. Mike was about a year maybe.

"They are family. Of course I would be there for them. Except for LJ, Sara and Mike are the only family I got left when we thought you were dead. I never got the chance to pay you back for what you did for me, so helping your wife and son was a good substitute. But Sara is a wonderful woman and I would have done it regardless. After all, like I said, they are family."

"I'm so grateful to you and LJ. I must thank him too. Where is he? Does he know?"

"No, I haven't told him yet. He is in Europe on a project arranged by the university he is attending. If I call him and tell him you are alive, he will take the first flight home. Not only will he miss his education, he will be in danger too, he will be another target for Jacob. We will surprise him with the wonderful news when it's over."

"Yeah, probably for the best. The important thing is that he is safe."

Sara and Mike came out. Mike climbed up in Michael's lap. "We are done with the cake now, Daddy. It has to cool down before we can eat it."

"Okay. How about we all go for a walk in the forest while we wait?" Michael asked looking around him.

"Sure, why not." Lincoln answered.

"Fine by me." Sara said where she stood by his side with her arm around his neck.

"Yes." Mike exclaimed.

The four of them started to walk down the trail. Mike walked in the middle of Sara and Michael, holding both their hands. Mike is in absolute heaven, spending this much time with both his parents and his uncle.

.

* * *

After locking up for the night, Michael went into the bedroom and found it empty.

"Sara?" Michael called out. With no answer, he checked the room Mike sleeps in. She wasn't there either. Michael knocked on the bathroom door. "Sara. Are you in there?"

"Yes. I'm taking a shower." Sara's voice came out a bit muffled by the door.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Michael went inside. Sara popped out her head through the curtain. "In fact, I was hoping you would join me." Sara said smiling.

"Yeah?" Michael smiled back.

"Yes. This door has a lock, which the bedroom don't have, so we will be safe."

"In that case." Michael took off his shirt. "There is no other place I rather be then in there with you."

Michael locked the door before stripping down and stepped into the shower. Seeing a happy smiling Sara, a very naked Sara was a delightful sight. One sight that made his body react instantly. They making love all night long the two previous nights hasn't decreased or satisfied his desire for her. Six years of absence didn't change his desire or him wanting to be with her. He is pretty sure it will always be so.

Due to their limited time together before he had to fake his death, this was going to be the first time they showered together. The feeling of caressing wet skin was a sensual feeling. Kissing wet skin was also sensual and smooth. Michael kissed his way to her tattoo. He loved it. The crane was a symbol of love, their love. Before that it was giving comfort from his brother and to have some faith that things will be alright.

Sara turned around and pressed her naked body against his. Her hands caressed up his chest to settle behind his neck and they started kissing. The steam in the shower wasn't just from the hot water, the heat their bodies and passion created was steaming hot too.

.

* * *

Heather had expected a visit from Jacob after his second call, just like Sara said he might do. It's been a week now since Sara left. She did get a text from Sara saying she was fine and that she would erase it after reading it, just in case. What she didn't expect was that Jacob looked so angry, he didn't look like the friendly neighbour she knew anymore.

"Where is Sara?"

"I haven't seen her all week."

"You are her best friend. She must have told you something before she left."

"What do you mean she left? Left you?"

"No, we just had a little argument and she needed some time alone. I need to know where she is."

"I don't know. I told you I haven't seen her."

"I think you do. I need you to tell me where she has gone." Jacob raised his voice and took a step forward.

"Jacob, you are scaring me. Think of Sara. How do you think Sara would feel if she would hear that her husband threaten her friend?"

"Tell me where she is, Heather."

"I don't know anything. I swear. I want you to leave now, Jacob. Or I will call the police."

Jacob noticed Heather looked behind him, it seemed like their loud altercation had drawn some attention from the neighbours. With a last coldly gaze Jacob left.

.

* * *

Lincoln found Sara behind the cabin, staring blindly out over the forest. He could see she has been crying.

"Sara! What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sara stroke away the tears. "I'm just a bit scared to leave. This place has been a safe haven. These days have been wonderful. So magically to see Mike and Michael interact together, father and son getting to know each other. All of us reunited, you got your brother back and I got my husband back. Now that I got a taste of how it was supposed to be, I want our happy ending. I'm scared what Jacob is planning and have been doing while we have been here. I have faith in Michael and his plan, but we have been through so much and we never got it easy. So much can go wrong."

"I know. We will be very careful. I should have trusted my instincts when I first met Jacob. I shouldn't have left you and Mike alone with him. Maybe we could have found out sooner."

"Be very careful. I can't lose Michael a second time. I love him so much."

.

* * *

Jacob stepped up to his car. It's been a long day, a long week even. Today was a long meeting with the head of the university, some students had complained about some grades and that he had yelled at them. Earlier this week he had been summoned to answer some questions about Harlan Gaines. The CIA had gotten an anonymous call suggesting they ask him about director Gaines disappearance. It must be Michael's doing, but they didn't seem to have much to go on, as he could dodge all questions easily, barely didn't even have to lie.

It was good to have the weekend now, to concentrate on finding Micahel and Sara. It was frustrating, it's been two weeks now without any trace whatsoever. He must sadly admit he have underestimated Michael and possible Sara too. How could she have just disappeared like that, vanish into thin air? The only thing he had was that the last two days she was acting strange, but not strange enough for him to suspect something was up.

Jacob took up his keys and unlocked his car. In the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching him.

"Scofield wants a word with you."

Jacob looked around him quickly. But it was getting dark, so it was hard to see anything outside the lighted parking lot.

"Not here, we will take you to him."

Now Jacob noticed a second man behind him. Even bigger than the first one and Jacob had never seen either of them before. "I don't think so." Jacob said calmly.

"That was not a request, it was an order." The first man nodded and before Jacob could react, he was trapped in a bear hug from the man behind him.

"We figured you wouldn't go easy, so I will give you a little help with that." He took up a syringe, removed the top and flicked it.

"What's that?" Jacob said and now he sounded not that calm anymore.

"This will make you sleep for a while." Jacob tried to struggle free, but his arms were locked to his body in an iron grip, he was totally helpless. Without further due, the man inserted the needle in his arm and injected it's content in one quick action.

"Say goodnight, Gracie."

That was the last words Jacob heard, his vision got blurred and then it went completely black, lights out. They put Jacob in their car. One of them jumped in Jacob's car. They both drove to Jacob's house. They left his car in the driveway before driving away with a sleeping Jacob in the back seat.

.

* * *

After Michael got the call the coast was clear, he made his way to Jacob's office. It was time to test if Syd had worked her magic and created the 3D-effect he wanted in his tattoo. His first tattoo with the hidden blueprints was a masterpiece. It worked exactly as he wanted it to. Syd is an artist with extraordinary talent.

Standing on the spot like Jacob did, Michael put his hands together in front of his face. The watching eye focused on the lines of the tattoo and the door slide open. Michael smiled and went inside. Now when it works, phase two can proceed.

Michael made a call to a man that waited outside. A man that Michael met on one of his missions in a prison on the east coast. His name is Raymond Steele and he is a computer wizard. He was a hacker, a black hat that escalated to million dollar embezzlement before he got caught. He was his cellmate and therefore automatically joins the escape party. Michael liked him and as him being more like a Robin Hood than a malicious killer, Michael didn't turn him in as he has with those not on the list, those approved by Poseidon. Not everyone got a ticket out.

Ray was very thankful to be out and said if Michael ever needed a favour, just give him a call. Now it's time to collect on that favour. Michael's plan is to give the CIA a video of Jacob killing deputy director Harlan Gaines, so he can be arrested for murder and be locked away in a maximum secuitye prison. Jacob erased the first part of the original video and altered it to look like Michael killed him. Now Michael needs to reenact the shooting of Harlan Gaines. He is going to use actors playing it out and then Ray will work his magic and make it look like it's Jacob and Harlan.

They will take headshots of Jacob now when they have him in custody. They are gonna use the real cabin. But it's not snow there now, so Michael has gotten the help of another man he met in a prison and escaped with. A man with another speciality Michael got fascinated by. He has a remarkable mind and eye for details. His job is to make the cabin and the surrounding look exactly as in the original video using fake snow. He is an odd person, obsessed with Elvis Presley, but his attention to details is remarkable which they both share and bonded over.

A beeping sound draws Michael from his thoughts. Did he trip some alarm? A monitor light up and showed the hall outside the door where Ray now stood. Jacob must have a moment sensor down the hall so he would know when someone approach his hideout. How could Jacob been allowed to have this overly secure office on the university ground? How could he manipulate the headmaster? What about the school board? Other teachers? They all must be wondering and talk amongst themselves.

On the desk Michael found a button, that maybe could be for the door. He pressed it and the door slide open.

Ray walked in and looked around. He whistles. "Now we are talking. This is not an ordinary home computer, this is some serious stuff. Pretty advanced."

"You think you can get through his security? He is highly intelligent and I guess he has more than a password."

"I haven't seen a system I haven't cracked yet. You can time me if you want." Ray said.

Michael smiled.

.

* * *

"When are you coming back, Daddy?"

"Soon. Just a day or two."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"I have made a drawing to you."

"I look forward to see it."

"I want to...wait..." Mike's voice faded out a bit and Michael could hear someone else in the background, probably Sara.

"Mommy says she miss you too and that she wants you back immediately."

Michael laughed. "Tell her I will make up for it when I get back. If it wasn't necessary I wouldn't have left you guys so soon, I would rather be there with you."

"I will. Good night, Daddy."

"Good night, Mike."

Michael hanged up. This is a new experience, talking on the phone with his wife and son. It's only been two days they have been apart now and he misses them like crazy. After spending these precious two weeks with them, he felt they got some routine down already. It's been the best two weeks of his life, it was everything he dreamt of it would be.

When this is all over, he will never voluntarily leave them again. He will take any job that is close to home, wherever they will settle down. A job with normal work hours, no trips, no overtime, so he can spend all free time with his family.

.

* * *

Jacob slowly woke up from his involuntary nap. His head hurt and he felt a bit nauseous. When he tried to lift his arms and it didn't work, his brain kicked in fighting mood and got alert real quick. He sat in a sturdy wooden chair that was cast in concrete. No chance to break the chair or just stand up and try to walk out with it. His wrists were tied to the chair with duck tape. Jacob looked around him.


	12. Chapter 12

He seemed to be in a barn, it was straws spread around on the floor. He didn't see anyone else in the room. At first he didn't know how he got here, but now he remembered clearly how he was drugged by those two guys that approached him in the parking lot. They said Michael Scofield wanted to talk to him.

This wasn't how he wanted to see Sara and Michael, him being the one in a disavantageous position. It's dangerous to underestimate Scofield. Because he is highly intelligent and that he managed to catch him first would suggest he got a plan and the upper hand. One reason he could get Scofield to work for him, was the threat to hurt Sara and that Scofield didn't want to run anymore. He didn't want to put his pregnant wife through a life on the run. He rather forced himself to stay away from them, so Sara and his unborn child could have a chance at a normal life.

Michael and Lincoln came into the room. They were laughing and to Jacob they looked so smug. Scofield must have contacted his brother at the same time as they never got a trace or sign on Burrows after Sara left.

"So Poseidon, or should I call you Jacob? Welcome." Michael smiled.

"Where am I?"

"That's not important."

"Where is Sara and Mike? I want to talk to her."

"They are safe. Hell will freeze over before I let you near them again."

Jacob sneered at them. "I must congratulate you to another success escape. How did you get Sara to vanish like that? When did you contact her?"

Michael smiled. "You really want to know that, don't you? But I will not tell you. For the reason why you are here, I want..." Michael got interrupted by Jacob.

"Release me and bring Sara and Mike to me and I promise I will not hurt her. I will restrain myself from punishing her for you broke the rules, if you stay away from us."

"You will not touch her again!" Lincoln yelled at him. "If you ever lay your hands on her, I swear to God, I will kill you."

Jacob turned to Lincoln. "Oh, that's new. She has slept with both of you."

Lincoln hit him hard with a straight right. "How dare you speak of Sara that way! Sara is a wonderful woman, I would never betray Michael and make a move on his wife. I should have trusted my gut feeling when Sara started dating you and sent you packing. You were not worthy of her love."

"Are you sure that it isn't anything between you two? You seem very eager to come to her defense."

"And you Scofield? How sure are you that he didn't fuck her? That she wasn't both your little who..."

Lincoln lost it and started to slug him with both fists. "You fucking lying bastard!"

Before Michael could stop him, Lincoln got a few punches in and the last one knocked Jacob unconscious. "Easy, Linc."

"It's not true, Michael. I would never do that to you or Sara."

"I know, Linc. He was just baiting us."

"I will go out and get some air."

"Okay."

.

* * *

"How is it coming along, Elvis? Do you have everything you need? I'm sorry for the short time frame."

"It's good as gold. I'm just putting on the finishing touches now. It's ready for the action to begin."

"Excellent. I will send a team over. Thank you so much."

"No, thank you, Michael. For getting me out of that hell hole. It's not a good place for someone like me."

"I will wire your payment."

"Much oblige."

"Take care. Bye."

"Bye."

Michael ended the phone call. He took up a paper from the table in front of him. It contained several documents they took from Jacob's computer. He was reading when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

"Sara!" Michael turned to her. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" Michael asked instantly before he noticed her happy face.

"No, nothing. I just missed you some fierce. I know I wasn't supposed to come here, but I had to see you. You have been away for three days now."

Michael smiled at her and pulled her into his arms for a kiss.

.

Meanwhile in the other room Jacob was waking up after Lincoln punching him out. Jacob moaned when his brain registered the pain in his jaw. "That bastard." Jacob cursed. Burrows will pay for that. He could feel the taste of blood in his mouth and spat it out. Jacob looked around the room and noticed one of his abductors. "I want a glass of water."

The man nodded and went to the door. He left it ajar and a movement caught Jacob's gaze and he saw Sara in Michael's arms.

.

The man hesitated when he saw them kissing. Knowing their story, he didn't want to disturb them, they deserved every happy moments they could get. What psychopath could do that to somebody? Force a man to stay away from his wife, make her believe he is dead, so he could have her instead. That is one cold sick bastard.

"Scofield. Take your hands of my wife." Jacob yelled from inside the room.

They stopped kissing and Sara looked up at Michael. "He is here? I don't want to see him."

Michael moved them a few steps to the side, so they weren't visible anymore to the room Jacob was in. "You don't have to. Stay here out of sight or do you have to leave? Where is Mike?"

"He is outside with Lincoln. He was pacing back and forth out front."

"Yeah. He is cooling down a bit from punching Jacob."

"He did?" Good, then I don't have to."

"Sara! Get in here. I have something to say to you." Jacob yelled.

"Stay here." Michael gave her a quick kiss. Michael walked into the room.

.

"So it didn't take long for you to have her back in your bed. I bet it's killing you knowing she has been in mine. In fact, I have slept with her more times than you have."

Michael didn't move a muscle or showed any expression that Jacob's words affected him.

Jacob got annoyed and continued to taunt him. "Did she tell you that she felt ashamed for what she did, open the door for you? She also said that she wished she never even heard or met Michael Scofield."

Michael remained calm and just stared him down.

"Don't listen to him, Michael." Sara came running in.

"Sara, there you are. You know you are committing adultery, right?" Jacob sneered at her. "If you say you haven't said that, you are lying. We both know you said that on our honeymoon. I don't think your memory is that bad."

Sara turned to Michael. "I must admit I said that in a weak moment, somewhat forced by Jacob. In that conversation, it seemed like the best answer. But then when I hugged Mike it came back to me and I was ashamed of myself. If I never would have met you, I wouldn't have Mike. I can't imagine my life without our son. I couldn't believe I said I would been better off not knowing you. Now when we got you back, our lives will be two times better and more amazing from now on."

"It saddens me that he made you doubt what we had, what we felt for each other. Sara, our love was beyond normal, it's what fairy tales are based on. I'm not like a frat boy that brags about how much sex he has had or how many girls he has been with." Michael sneered at Jacob. "Or think that makes someone more important."

Michael turned back to Sara. "Everything I did, I did for you, so I could be with you. If you thought I ruined your life, you wouldn't have followed me to Panama. You had faith in what we had was larger than life, as we only had kissed twice. It's a long trip just to have a third kiss and maybe go out on a date to see if we are a match." Michael smiled. "What we had was real, Sara. Once this is over we will have the life we talked about. You, me and Mike."

"Don't throw your life away, our life by going back to him. We have a good life. If you and Mike comes back, I will forgive you. You can save his life by coming home." Jacob said.

"How can you possibly think I will ever let you touch me again after all you done?"

"I mean it, you can save Michael's life if you come home. I don't have to kill him, I will just make sure he stays away from us."

"Are you insane?"

"I love you, Sara. You love me. We can get past this. I got you to forget him once, we can do that again."

"Do you even hear yourself? The love I once had died instantly when I found out. My feelings for Michael never went away. I know you were jealous of my love for Michael, so I tried to suppress it as much as I could. The moment I saw Michael, it all surfaced with full force. If you think you could or had made me stop loving Michael, you are sorely mistaken. I never stopped loving him. I love him more than ever. I will show you how much."

.

Michael stood silently while Sara and Jacob yelled at each other. He was furious that Jacob had made her feel bad and ashamed about her decision that helped him and Lincoln escape. That he made her think about that again, when she paid the highest price for it already, she almost died. Both he and she made peace with those actions they had done. Together they made a pact, that the past was the past. Not to dwell on it anymore and only look forward after their wedding.

He was angry for how Jacob had tried to manipulate her about her feelings for him and what he felt for her. Made her doubt that what they had was real. That he only used her to make her do what he wanted. That's not true. He fell in love with her. A little more for every day from the moment they met that first day. By the kiss he was deeply in love. A part of him wanted to abort the escape there and then. He thought, after they escaped, he would never see her again. That's why he kissed her, he wanted so badly to feel her lips against his. If that was his only chance, he was gonna take it.

Even now he tried to manipulate her into thinking he would let them live, if she gave in. Jacob would never do that, it was too late for that now. Only chance they have to be free and alive, is to put Jacob away in prison for the rest of his life.

.

Michael noticed the silence before he saw Sara's smiling face closing into his and she kissed him. The kisses were very passionate. She knew how jealous Jacob was when she spoke of Michael, so she felt a childish satisfying forcing him see her kissing Michael. She could hear him breathing hard, he was furious. Sara finished the kiss by holding Michael's face with both her hands. "I love you." She whispered, but it was loud enough for Jacob to hear.

"She is still my wife. You will not get married. I will never sign the divorce papers."

Michael smiled. "I know a good forger. You know, it's amazing how many fascinating and interesting people you can meet in a prison. For an example, you can meet a wife." Michael let his hand slide down her arm and they entwined their fingers. When Michael looked at Sara, his gaze was filled with love.

Michael turned back to Jacob. "My first cellmate back at Fox River is a man I considering is one of my closes friends. More recently I met some people with a skill set out of the ordinary, skills that could be useful some day. But I pay for the use of their skills. Not like you did with me, threatened to kill my family if I didn't work for you."

"With what? How do you pay them? If you haven't robbed another bank, you can't have any money. You don't have time to have another job on the side, I don't know about to earn money."

"I hope you don't teach math to your students, professor. Because you never question my invoices I sent to you, if you had you would have noticed it was a lot of money for nothing really. So I got a sturdy bag of money so to speak."

"It can't be."

"Some of those people you already know, like those gentlemen that brought you here. The other ones, you will just see their handy work, if you don't agree to my terms. It's quite impressive, you will be surprised."

Jacob just stared at them. In the silence they could hear Mike laugh outside.

"Mike! I want to see him." Jacob said.

"You are not in any position to make demands. Do you really think I would let you see him?" Michael said.

"If you come near our son again, I will kill you myself." Sara said and turned to Michael. "I should go, I just came by because I had to see you. I needed a kiss."

"I walk you out so I could say hi to Mike." They turned their backs to Jacob and walked out.

"Sara! Get back here. You can still change your mind and I won't hurt Michael. We can still be a family."

They continued to walk and didn't look back.

"Sara!" Damn you Scofield. I will get you for this." Jacob yelled after them when they were out of his sight.


	13. Chapter 13

Michael returned half an hour later. "Can we get down to business? So both of us can leave this place?"

"Sure, Scofield. Tell me your master plan. Tell me what you think you can do to me, to get rid of me."

"Harlan Gaines."

"So it was you that made CIA question me? Sorry to disappoint you then, but they didn't ask any hard questions. They have nothing." Jacob sneered.

"That wasn't the point. It was meant to get you on their radar, to connect you to the case. You are now a part in that investigation. If they got more leads, they will look more closely into you. What will they find then?" Michael saw how Jacob changed his expression.

"I'm pretty sure you deleted all phone call history between you and Gaines and other traces, but did he? Considering he didn't know he was going to be killed that night, I say he hasn't. If CIA found out you are one of the last people to see him alive, you are probably going to be suspect number uno, don't you think?"

"You forgot that I got a video that shows you killed him. If you think you can get me arrested for murder, think again. It will only incriminate yourself."

"Yes, about that. I had that video changed, I didn't particularly like the ending. So another acquaintance I met in prison, a computer expert altered the ending and going to make quite an exciting beginning. Much more to my liking. It will show the original killer doing the killing, as it should be. And as you surely remember, I buried the body, so I know the location. The CIA would be very pleased if they got that information I imagine."

Jacob stared at Michael and for the first time he felt a fear of getting caught.

"Here is the deal. All I want to do is to be with my family and I don't want to do that on the run. Constantly looking over our shoulders and never stay too long in one place. So if you leave us alone, never bothering any of my family. Me...Sara...Mike...Lincoln...LJ. You are free to go. Otherwise I will hand you over to the CIA with the tape, the body location and all the evidence I have. Your choice."

After staring silently at each other Jacob finally said. "Fine. I will stop hunting you. I will leave you guys alone."

"Good. Be true to your word or CIA will be knocking on your door. I hope sincerely I will never see you again." With those words Michael left the room.

.

* * *

Once again Jacob woke up with a headache and feeling nauseated. They drugged him again after he promised Scofield to stay away from them. Which he isn't of course. He will not tolerate to be treated like this. They must all be punished for this treachery.

He was lying on the ground outside. It was dark, but he saw a building in front of him. Jacob stood up on shaky legs and walked to it. It turned out to be a gas station. They must have taken his phone, after a search in his pockets came up empty. He used the phone in the gas station to call A&W and Van.

.

* * *

Michael knocked on the hotel room where Sara and Mike stayed. Michael and Lincoln had just came back from cleaning up the barn, removed all evidence that something took place in the barn they temporary burrowed. It was going to be so good to see them again, even if he got to see them a brief moment this morning. Even if three days of missing them is considerably less than six years, he missed them like crazy.

He can't wait to hold both of them in his arms. Now they will be together a few days before the last phase in his plan is to be executed. Ray is working on the video, they took photos of Jacob when they had him captured. Ray planted some spyware on Jacob's computer and installed a hidden camera in the room. Now they hope they will have more evidence to give the CIA, that Jacob will be careless and say something that will incriminate himself.

"Sara, it's me."

Sara carefully opened the door with the chain on and lighten up when she saw it was Michael. She unhooked the chain and pulled Michael into the room. Michael locked the door behind him and took Sara in his arms and kissed her passionately. They were so engulfed with each other that they forgot they weren't alone until Michael felt Mike hugged his leg and almost whispered. "Daddy, you are home." Like he didn't want to disturb them.

Michael let go of Sara so he could lift up his son. "Hello Mike. I have missed you."

"Hi Daddy."

"It's so good to be back with you guys."

Mike put his arms around Michael's neck and hugged him tight. Sara laid her head on Mike's back and put her hands around both of them, so she could hug both her Michaels.

"So what gave you guys gone today?" Michael asked.

"We went shopping. I got some new coloring books. Come and look."

"Okay."

Mike took Michael's hand and Michael took Sara's hand, so they mimic a human train walking to the couch.

They played with Mike the rest of the evening and after they put him to bed, they made sweet sweet love.

.

* * *

Michael stood in the shadows, watching the CIA agents arrest Poseidon's henchmen. Those two that were in the car that almost hit Sara. Ray found the video on Jacob's computer when they were here before. Michael had a meeting with the CIA earlier this week, to get their help to put Jacob away in prison, so he never can hurt any of them again. Killing a CIA deputy director will give him a life sentence, with no parole.

The current deputy director was very interesting in solving his predecessors disappearance. Knowing he was killed in cold blood by one of their own, was dreadful news and made him angry. Michael gave them all evidence he had, the video of the shooting, the location of the body and Jacob's dna. As a bonus they got the video of the attempt on Sara's life, so they could arrest Jacob's associates too.

Michael knew Jacob wouldn't keep his promise to stay away from them. Michael has no guilty conscience to break his promise not to report Jacob to the CIA. The purpose of capture Jacob was to get his dna and headshots of him, so they could digital his face.

The CIA had Jacob's office under surveillance, so they know when all of them would be together. Today was that day. The day Michael has been waiting for, longed for, the day he will be free. The day the threat against everyone he loves is neutralized. he can go home to his family as a free man.

"Are you ready, Mr Scofield?" The agent in charge of the operation had walked up to him.

"Yes, I am."

"Then let's take Mr Ness down, so you can get your life back."

Michael and the agents started to walk to the university gate.

.

Michael had a hard time to pinpoint exactly where you will trigger the motion sensor, that will make the alarm go off inside and warn Jacob. When Michael thinks he knows, the four agents rushed down the hall and positioned themselves two on each side of the door, pressed against the wall to not be seen and Michael crossed the invincible line.

Inside Jacob didn't look at the monitor immediately when the alarm started, as he thought it was A&W and Van coming back. When he did look up and saw it was Michael of all people standing outside the door, he should be suspicious. But instead he thought how fortune it was, now he could turn the table on Scofield, get him to reveal where Sara and Mike is hiding. Jacob opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a gun. He reached for the button to open the door, but before he could press it, the door opened up.

"What the hell!" Jacob came to his feet fast, but before he could do anything else, he had four guns pointing at him. "What is the meaning of this? How did you get through the door?"

"Put the gun down." One of the agents said.

Jacob stared at the intruders for a few seconds before putting the gun down on the desk.

"Step aside from it."

Jacob did what they asked.

"Now, Mr Ness, you and I will have another talk about Harlan Gaines, I have more questions."

Jacob looked closer to the one that has been doing the talking and now recognized him as the agent he talked to the other week.

"It's quite an office you got here, I thought you worked for us." He turned to the agent on his left. "Do a complete sweep, I want to know everything those servers contain and how he got hold of such a secure office at a university."

"Yes, sir."

"Let's go, Mr Ness. I prefer my office."

Michael stepped inside. Jacob stared at him with rage in his eyes. "It's him you want, he killed Gaines. I got proof."

"So do he. You know, Mr Scofield is quite the story teller and it's one incredible story at that."

"It's all lies. You can't trust one word of what he has been saying."

"If it's not true, Mr Scofield should write a book or make a movie, it's a hell of a story. The reason to why his story is trustworthy, is his wife can attest and verify. Her story is a perfect match to his."

"She is my wife." Jacob spat out.

"Well...technically she may be, but romantically...I say she and Mr Scofield belongs to each other. You can't deny the love between them."

"I have a video showing Scofield killed Gaines up at a cabin."

"Yes, I have seen that video, but it's clearly showing you as the shooter and then moving the body."

Jacob looked at Michael. "He said he had it altered."

"We have had our experts going through it and it's not been tampered with. They have looked at it frame by frame, nothing has been cut or altered, it's genuine."

"It can't be." Jacob looked coldly at Michael who was smiling.

"I told you, you can meet some extraordinary people."

"You will see for yourself down at my office. Let's go, it will be a long night."

"How did you open the door? It should be unenforceable and impenetrable. I am the only one that can open it."

"You remember the day you brought me here? That was your first mistake. You said you admired my idea to have my plan on my sleeves, literally in a tattoo. Then you said the eyes are the key to the soul. And I said it what's behind the eyes that count. I combined it all to a master key." Michael put his hands in front of his face, so they revealed the secret of his new tattoo.

Jacob grasped. "That's impossible. How could you..."

"Impossible is only a word."

.

The agent in charge came up to Michael after they put a handcuffed Jacob in the car.

"Is it really over now? He will not be set free?"

"I can understand that you have trust issues on our government and institutions considering what you have been through. But there are good guys amongst us too, I can assure you. I want to thank you, Mr Scofield. Without you we would never solve Harlan Gaines murder. It was getting a bit embarrassing that we couldn't solve a murder done to one of our own."

"He will be prosecuted?"

"Yes. We have a solid case. He is not going anywhere. The evidence is overwhelming. He will get a life sentence. Killing a CIA agent is a major crime. Justice will be served. You are a free man, Mr Scofield. The good part with a secret organisation is that it contains few people. We have them all in our custody. The threat against your family is eliminated. Now you can start living your life again and be a daddy. But don't think it will be easy living, without drama and excitement. It's not a walk in the park. I have two children of my own."

Michael smiled. "That's all I want and I look forward to that kind of challenge."

.

* * *

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Now when this is over, are we going to move? Or are we going back to our old house?"

"I don't know, sweetie. We haven't discussed that yet. Maybe Michael wants to go back to Chicago, where we are both from. But I do think we will not stay in Jacob's house. I can't see how Michael could stay there and not think about what he did and what that house represent. All memories he wasn't a part of and everything he missed out on. Perhaps we could rent or buy another place in the surrounding area, so you could finish kindergarten. Would you like that?"

"I like Dylan and the other at kindergarten, but I don't mind if we are moving. Just as daddy is with us, that we are all together, it's not important to me where we live."

Sara looked tenderly at Mike. How blessed they were with such a lovely son, so warm and caring, not a selfless bone in his body. Sara caressed him over the hair and kissed him on the temple. "We can discuss it when Michael comes home. I'm with you, I don't care where we live, as long as we are all together. It would be great if Lincoln would live nearby too."

Mike smiled at her. "I would like that too."

.

* * *

Sara was pacing back and forth in the hotel room. She was waiting for Michael, he called and said he was going to be late, it was taking more time than he first thought. Mike wanted to wait up too, but it was way too late for him, so he had to go to bed.

So here she was alone, waiting for the home pregnancy test to give its verdict. She and Mike had gone out earlier during the day. They went for some ice cream and walked to a park where Mike went on the swings. It was Saturday and many families were there, lots of children and their parents.

When Mike saw them, he asked if he was going to have some siblings. He would very much like to be a big brother. He said now when daddy is back and he missed out on his birth, he thought daddy would like experience it all.

Sara's heart melted when she remembered Mike's words. She hadn't even thought of that possibility. They could have more children. Michael could experience everything he missed with a second child. Now when Mike had mentioned it and the more she thought of it, she liked it. She would very much love to have more children with Michael.

On their way home from the park, she realized something. She hadn't taken any pills since she left. They were in her purse, which she left behind in her car. In their reunited blizz, they haven't used any protection. She could very well be pregnant already. After all, they conceived Mike on their first time together. Her instinctual feelings were both happy and scared.

She brought a test on her way back to the hotel. Here she was now waiting ancient for the result and Michael's return.

.

One hour later she heard Michael's special knock on the door. Just in case, she opens slightly to check before she opened the door fully. She welcomed him with a kiss.

"Hi. Is it over now?"

"Hi. Everything went as planned. Jacob is in CIA custody. We are safe and free from him now. We can now be the family we should be. You, me and Mike."

Sara laughed nervously. "About that. I have something to tell you. We haven't used any protection, so there is a chance I could be pregnant."

Michael looked at her in astonishment, totally blown away by surprise. she saw how his gaze changed from surprise to happiness and full of love. A tiny smile grows wider and wider.

"You are?"

"There is a possibility. I wanted to wait for you before I found out. I took a test, but I haven't checked it yet. I wanted to do that together. How do you feel about this, if I am?"

"I always pictured us with more than one child in my dreams. even if I am a bit shocked by this surprise at this very moment, I would be thrilled to have another child. Let's find out."

Sara took his hand and together they went to check the test. Sara grasped. "Oh, it's positive. I am pregnant. We are having a baby."

Michael took the test and looked at it closely. Sara gave away a sob. Michael looked at her. "Are you not happy about having another baby?"

"Of course I am. I'm just a bit concerned about our timing. It's better than last time, but apparently we didn't learn to use protection. What kind of doctor am I to have not one, but two unplanned pregnancies. Not unwanted, never unwanted."

"Well...I didn't think I had to use condoms to protect us from any diseases, as I haven't been with another woman and you was married. I assumed you were on the pills as you said you wanted to wait with having a child with Jacob."

"Yes, I did. But I left my purse containing my pills behind when I left my car. Deep inside I didn't want to have another man's child. Only yours."

Michael's eyes gleamed with warmth. He kissed her.

"Me and Mike got our wish to come true, we got you back. Now it's your time to get something I think you want, to experience the birth of our child, albeit it's our second child."

"All I wanted was to be with you, raise a family, grow old together. Do everything we planned on those nights we were cuddling in the boat in the warehouse. I had so many wishes and hopes while I had to stay away. I wished so much to see you and my child. I wished I could at least tell you I was alive, while I solved how I could get free and still protect all of us. Being with you and Mike is my wish coming true and to be blessed with another child is truly amazing after this nightmare. I can't think of anything else that would make me happier. I love you, Sara. Always have, always will."

"I love you, Michael. So much. So very, very much. I was lost without you. My heart ached for Mike that wouldn't know you. You are an amazing father, you have already made up for a lot of the time you missed."

Sara took Michael's hand and hold it with hers over her belly. "This child will know you from the start and will be the luckiest child in the world."

"Does Mike know?"

"No, I wanted you to know first. We will tell him tomorrow. But he will be ecstatic. You should have heard him, Michael. Our boy is remarkable. He asked me if he was going to have a sibling, now when you are back. He thought you wanted to experience to be a father from the beginning, since you missed it all with him."

"You have done a good job raising him. I don't want him getting jealous, thinking a new baby would make me not love him as much as I would the new child. Just because I am gonna be there from the start."

"Never. Mike look forward to be a big brother. Our love will be enough for everyone. And about Mike, he has more of your genes than mine. That's why he is perfect."

"I'm pretty sure it's you."

Sara gave Michael a look. He holds up his hands in defeat. "Then I would like this child to be like you, a pretty little girl, growing up into a beautiful woman, just like her mother."

"Done deal. I can't wait to tell Mike tomorrow. We need to talk about our future, what we shall do and where we shall live. But now I want you all to myself. Let's make love."

Michael smiled as she took his hand and they disappeared into the bedroom.

The End


End file.
